POLITICS: NORTHERN SENATORS WARN TINUBU AS NNPP TELLS KWANKWASO TO RESIGN

NORTHERN SENATORS WARN TINUBU AS NNPP TELLS KWANKWASO TO RESIGN

The Northern Senators Forum consists of Senators from the nineteen states of Northern Nigeria.

The forum, speaking through it spokesman, Senator Sulaiman Sumaila  on Friday 4th August 2023 cautioned President Bola Ahmed Tinubu against military intervention in the crisis in neighboring Niger Republic.

A military junta led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani had on July26 2023 overthrown President Mohamed Bazoum of Niger Republic.

Niger’s neighbors, Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea, have experienced five coups in the last three years and are under military rule.

The Economic Community of West African States, led by Nigeria’s President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a swift reaction convoked an emergency meeting of the regional body.

A seven-day ultimatum was issued to Tchiani to release the detained Bazoum and return the country to democratic rule or face the possibility of a military intervention.

Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea have expressed support for the Junta in Niger in event of a military intervention by Nigeria and ECOWAS.

The four countries are Nigeria’s neighbors in the north.

Sen. Suleiman Sumaila said , military intervention in Niger would affect Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno and therefore urged President Tinubu to adopt political and diplomatic means to restore democratic government in Niger instead of a military one.

“We also take exception to the use of military force until other avenues are exhausted, as the consequences will be casualties among the innocent citizens who do their daily business. Besides, about seven northern states with a border with the Niger Republic will be negatively affected, namely Sokoto, Kebbi, Katsina, Zamfara, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno”.

The Senators’ concern is that an outbreak of war with the four countries on the northern border will threaten the lives of the seven states on the borderline.

The Seven-day ultimatum lapses today. While some sources say the ultimatum will be extended, the meeting of ECOWAS Chiefs of Army Staff and activates at border are still ongoing.

Also on the political scene, The Forum of State Chairmen of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) has asked its presidential candidate in the last general election, Senator Rabiu Kwankwaso to resign from the party immediately or risk indefinite suspension over his alleged involvement in anti-party activities.

This is based on an allegation of “unhealthy relationship between Kwankwaso and the All Progressives Congress during and after the general elections.”

Comrade Sunday Oginni, the Forum Chairman, accused Kwankwaso of allegedly masterminding crisis in NNPP across the country and using the NNPP to negotiate himself back into Nigeria’s political scene.

The group frowned at Kwankwaso’s frequent meetings with President Bola Tinubu.

“In the same vein, the recent unconstitutional and purported dissolution of seven states executives of Ekiti, Enugu, Niger, Kaduna Katsina, Rivers and Zamfara from State and Local to the ward levels at the same time is unacceptable.”

“It’s on record that neither Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso nor any of his cohorts at the NWC committed a dime to the building of structures of the party they are not ashamed to demolish within a twinkle of an eye. The empty threat of NWC coming in later days for the jugular of Imo and Oyo State shall not see the light of the day”

Oginni, also accused Kwankwaso of breaching the agreement on the Memorandum of Understanding he signed with the Founder and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Dr. Boniface Aniebonam.

“The Forum of State Chairmen of New Nigeria People’s Party is hereby using this forum to call on the Founder of this great Party Dr . Boniface Aniebonam to rise up to the occasion by making sure that he revoke the Memorandum of Understanding having been breached by Kwankwaso and bring back our party.

“We are using this opportunity to appeal to Nigerians to be patient and prayerful for the emergence of new Nigeria of our collective dreams.”