The former Nigerian Military Head of State and envoy of the Economic Community of West African States for peaceful resolution in Niger, General Abdulsalam Abubakar, expressed hope on Tuesday that the meeting in Niger with the coup leaders was very fruitful and could lead to a positive result.
“Nobody wants to go to war,” he told reporters in Abuja after briefing Nigerian President Bola Tinubu on the mission.
Speaking with State House correspondents after the meeting with President Bola Tinubu, Abubakar noted that the visit to Niger was a fruitful one and channels for diplomacy have been opened.
While giving further details of his discussions with the President, the elder statesman said:
“As you are aware, the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government have made me an envoy to the Niger Republic, and we were there over the weekend to see the military people and discuss finding a way out of the lacuna we find ourselves in. So that’s why I’m here this afternoon, together with the President of the ECOWAS Commission, to give a report back to Mr President on our discussions in Niger.”
“I must say that our visit to Niger has been very fruitful and that it has opened an avenue to start talking, and hopefully we’ll get somewhere.”
Reacting to the Niger junta’s announcement that power will be handed over to a democratically elected government in three years, Abubakar said:
“Well, like I said, we’ve started talking. They made their own points, and then I made my report to the Chairman of the ECOWAS Heads of State and President.
I will now consult with my colleagues, and then the ding-dong starts, and we’ll hopefully get somewhere.
“Hopefully, diplomacy will see the better of this. Nobody wants to go to war; it doesn’t pay anybody, but then again, our leaders have said if all fails, and I don’t think all will fail, we’ll get somewhere; we’ll get out of this mess.”
