Niger Coup: Tinubu To Host Special ECOWAS Meeting In Abuja

President Bola Ahmed will host a special meeting of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on Sunday, July 30 in Abuja.

The Special Adviser to the President on Special Duties, Communications and Strategy, Mr Dele Alake, made the disclosure in a statement on Friday.

Persecondnews reports that the meeting is coming after the Nigerien soldiers involved in the military coup on Friday named General Abdourahamane Tchiani,
as the new leader of the country.

The new leader, who has been head of the Presidential Guard since 2011, presented the coup as a response to “the degradation of the security situation” linked to jihadist bloodshed.

He has also warned against any foreign military intervention, adding that “there will be consequences that will flow from any foreign military intervention”.

Alake noted that the meeting is to discuss the coup in the Republic of Niger that has suspended the constitutional political leadership in the West African country.

The statement reads: “Following the coup in the Republic of Niger that has upended the constitutional political leadership in the West African country, the Chairman of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, President Bola Tinubu will host a special meeting of the regional leaders on Sunday, July 30th in Abuja.

“President Tinubu as Chairman of ECOWAS, in a statement he personally signed on Wednesday, July 26, 2023, condemned the current political situation in the neighbouring country and promised that ECOWAS and the international community would do everything to defend democracy and ensure democratic governance continues to take firm root in the sub-region.

“US Vice President Kamala Harris and United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres in separate telephone calls Thursday evening with President Tinubu affirmed the support of the US and UN for the position taken by ECOWAS and the Nigerian leader to restore constitutional order in Niger.”