The conversations that the ECOWAS delegation’s head, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (rtd), held with the military officials in the Niger Republic have been made public.
In a meeting with the Niger Junta, Gen. Abubakar, a senior member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was informed that the subject of restoring President Mohamed Bazoum to power would not be successful, according to information posted on X (previously known as Twitter) by Imran Muhammad @Imranmuhdz.
He said,
“He said the coup has happened successfully and President Bazoum has been ousted. So, the issue of returning him to power won’t work. He asked ECOWAS to focus on things that would better the lives of people of Niger and avoid the topic of returning Bazoum to power. He insisted that they can discuss every other thing freely, but that returning him to power should be avoided because it won’t work.”
Speaking further, the former Nigerian leader, in an interview with the BBC News Africa, said the junta noted that it might take three years to return the country to democracy.
Gen. AbdulSalami said:
“It’s even better now that they are speaking unlike in the beginning of things that they never uttered a word nor allowed opportunity for dialogue.
“However, the information on three years time for return to democracy was contained in the report of the meeting that we presented to President Tinubu.”
General Abdulsalami Abubakar lists the demands of the junta below, adding that they made a form of plea to the ECOWAS through his delegation.
He opined thus:
“Yes, they appealed that the closed borders be reopened so that food and drugs, as well as other essential commodities can enter the country, stressing that, even in war situations, food and drugs, and other essential items are always allowed to enter into the troubled country not to talk of Niger that is not in war situation.
“They also requested that electricity be restored to the country by Nigerian government to enable socio-economic activities thrive.”