By Emmanuel Nduka
Weeks after falling out with President Bola Tinubu over a ministerial slot, former Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai has warned the ‘Jagaban’ that his decision to invade Niger with ECOWAS troops “if necessary”, will be a declaration of war against northern Nigeria.
His warning was expressed on Twitter, now X.
“As ECOWAS beats the drums of war, I recall the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’, because a war within our subregion is a war between brothers,” El-Rufai wrote.
“Indeed, the people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers,” he added.
Heritage Times HT had reported that ECOWAS troops had been placed on standby in case there will be need to forcefuly restore constitutional order in Niger, following the ouster of President Mohamed Bazoum by members of his presidential guards in July.
On August 10, at the second extraordinary summit on the socio-political situation in the Republic of Niger held in Abuja, ECOWAS president, Omar Alieu Touray, gave a directive for the regional bloc’s forces to be on standby to attack the beleagured country.
“We direct the committe of defence staff to activate the ECOWAS standby force with all its elements immediately,” Touray said, adding that the action was to “restore constitutional order in the Republic of Niger.”
