I thought military coups ended with the 20th century but to my greatest surprise, about six military coups have taken place in West and central Africa since 2020 and another had taken place in Niger making it the seventh and most recent one.
Before we go on, what exactly is a coup? You might ask, a coup d’état, or simply a coup is an illegal and overt attempt by the military or other government elites to unseat the incumbent leader. A self coup is when a leader, having come to power through legal means tries to stay in power through illegal means.
On the 26 July 2023, a coup d’état occurred in Niger when the country’s presidential guard detained president Mohamed Bazoum, and presidential guard commander General Abdourahamane Tchiani proclaimed himself the head of a new military junta. Presidential guard forces closed the country’s borders, suspended state institutions and declared a curfew.
The coup which took place in Naimey, the capital of Niger has since left the city in a state of significant unrest. The coup has been widely condemned by the international community and by the West African Bloc, ECOWAS which currently considering military intervention in the country, leading to the 2023 Nigerien crisis.
This is the fifth military coup d’état that has occurred in the country since its independence from France in 1960 and the first since 2010. There was a military coup attempt in 2021 when the military dissidents tried to seize the presidential palace two days before the inauguration of the recently deposed president, Mohamed Bazoum.
The president of Nigeria, Bola Tinubu who also doubles as the chairman of ECOWAS has issued a 7 day ultimatum to the military junta to restore democracy by returning power to Mohamed Bazoum and has since threatened to take actions against the junta. Following this threat, the military government of Burkina Faso and Mali, neighbouring countries who have had a successful coups, has also threatened to rise against any nation that uses military force on Niger and will consider such action as a declaration of war. Niger is also backed up by the Russian government who do not intend to sit back and watch any attack on the nation.
Nigerians have taken to several social media platforms to air out their concerns as regards to the issue and how it will affect the state of the country. They have warned the president to mind his business and focus on the economic situation bedeviling the state. The states with the most concern are those sharing boundaries with Niger, these states are, Sokoto, Jigawa, Yobe, Kebbi and Katsina. They are concerned because if there should be any retaliation from Niger and its allies, they would be the first and most affected.
President Bola Tinubu on Sunday played host to governor’s of these states. It was gathered the meeting held at the State House, Abuja, was part of consultation by the president on the situation in Niger. The governors in attendance were Ahmed Aliyu (Sokoto), Umar Namadi (Jigawa), Mai Malam Buni (Yobe), Idris Nasir (Kebbi) and Dr. Dikkk Radda (Katsina).
The Northern elites kicked against the planned onslaught against the military junta while citing the consequences such actions could bring to the country. The decision of the Northern governors resonated with the concerns of the citizens.
The president had written the leadership of the National Assembly to approve the deployment of military personnels to the troubled Niger. The Senate however turned down the request while it asked Tinubu and other leaders of the region to tread with caution in addressing this political situation.
As Nigerians, what we need from Mr President is that he redirects his attention to the current situation of the country. His major priority should be toward alleviating the current crisis in the Nation. We cannot be playing big brother when our home is tearing apart.
Nigeria has in the time past rose to the occasion when neighbouring countries were in need of assistance. The role of Nigeria in conflict resolution and peace keeping efforts in Africa and other parts of the world cannot be overemphasized. The country has contributed more than 200,000 soldiers to peace keeping missions around the world since independence.
Despite all these efforts, the country is still where it is today, more or less the laughingstock of other African countries. Yes, we know that Mr President is the chairman of ECOWAS, we don’t deny the fact that actions should be taken as regards to the coup, but he should recognize that he is first our president and should as such put the welfare of the nation above every other thing. Therefore, whatever action he decides to take should not be detrimental to the citizens of Nigeria.
Instead of using force, diplomatic tools should be put in place in liaising with Niger and the ultimatum should be extended. It is a known fact that Nigeria is responsible for the electricity supply in Niger, instead of sending soldiers there why not cut the power if liaising does not bear fruit. Our sincere plea to you Mr President, do not call for a war we cannot fight.
– Omafe Victoria Nemile.
Prince Abubakar Audu University (PAAU) Anyigba, Kogi state.
