Academics and stakeholders have warned that the Economic Community of West African States may cease to exist as a body if it fails to restore democratic rule in the Republic of Niger.
This is as they drummed support for the decision of ECOWAS to explore military options in its effort to displace the junta that seized power in Niger.
The speakers took turns to make the submissions on Friday at a symposium organised by the Department of History and International Relations of Lagos State University.
Speaking on the theme: “Coup D’etat in Niger Republic: National, Regional and Global Ramifications”, they explained that it was time for the sub-regional body to put a stop to what may become a trend of military junta in West Africa.
A lecturer in the department, Dr Olawale Lawal, said the military option is better, while adding that the military of the ECOWAS member states is up to the task.
He added that the situation in Niger is the first classic example of what ECOWAS wants to use its newly formed joint army for.
“We all have international organisations and in building them, there are diplomatic tools and that is when you have the military option. All of them are engaged in diplomatic relations. They talk when they have issues. That is why they have conventions, protocols and declarations. But once you run counter to some of these conventions, there will be a communication of intentions and your failure to abide by some of the conventions will result in the use of military practice yet diplomatic.
“In December 2022, West Africa came out with a standing military command to tackle fundamental jihadism and coup d’etat. All other coups preceded the December date while the Niger coup is happening after then. So, Niger is the first classical example of the demonstration of the might of what ECOWAS wanted to use the army for. At the end of the day, the military of Niger Republic and the countries supporting all put together cannot defeat the ECOWAS.”
Another lecturer, Dr Habeeb Sanni, said ECOWAS must invoke the military option or cease to exist.
He said the military has no business in politics, adding that the Niger coup is anathema to democratic principles.
While highlighting the reasons for a military take-over, he said, “The three reasons the military takes over from a democratically elected government are to either protect the military interest, come to cease power in the interest of the masses who are suffering as (military dictator Ibrahim) Babangida would say it was the reason he ceased power to become the military president. Another reason is to protect the political class. In the case of Niger, the military seized power to protect its own interest. The conclusion here is that, whether we like it or not, ECOWAS needs to invoke the military option, otherwise ECOWAS may be no more.”
Dr Henry Ogunjewo of the Department of History and Strategic Studies at the University of Lagos said no one knows which country is next if ECOWAS fails to take action.
He said there is no other system of government that is acceptable other than democracy, hence the need to keep practising it and sticking to its principles.
He said, “There is a need to stop the coup. Enough is enough. If ECOWAS does not take action, we don’t know who will be next. We don’t have an alternative to democracy, so we must keep practising democracy and sticking to its principles. These coup plotters assumed that just like the other military takeovers, this one too will go like that. It was a miscalculation. They don’t know about power, they are ignorant. We have had five coups before now but this one is bringing so much noise because the trajectory will threaten the existence of ECOWAS.”
Ogunjewo also maintained that the military could have explored the option of removing the president without scuttling the democratic rule.
Dr Segun Bolarinwa of the Nigeria Institute of International Affairs said, there is an extra African interest in what is happening in West Africa while describing it as a serious radicalisation of the Sahel.
He said, “If you look at the states in the Sahel, there is too much poverty there. Niger has been recorded to have 80 per cent of people in serious poverty. They have uranium in huge quantities and France has just been extracting and taking them away at a small stipend. But Russia and China came and say they will double this thing. So there is a new scramble for Africa, particularly its resources… These Francophone states have no central bank of their own, their currencies have been printed by France until now. All of these have been reducing Nigeria’s influence but when it comes to problem, Nigeria has to champion the leadership.
A legal practitioner, Habeeb Obadan, said the failure of the African leaders to commit themselves to the effectiveness of the laws that prohibit coup d’etat is the reason the military keeps taking over power.
According to him, the illegality of the military takeover in Niger must be looked within the context of the constitution and legal framework that is operational in the country.
He said, “The problem with Africa is that there are laws that seek to entrench democracy, rule of law and constitutionalism. The problem is – are African leaders committed to the implementation of these laws? We are not short of laws in Africa. We have laws that prohibit unconstitutional change of government. But the problem is that African leaders are not committed to the implementation of the legal frameworks. ECOWAS and the African Union should constantly convince African leaders to abide by the principles of constitutionalism and the rule of law instead of taking a reactive approach to issues like this.”
The convener, who is also the Head of Department, Dr. Asewuni Falode, said the symosium sought to keep the public well-informed about developments associated with the military junta in Niger Republic.
“The essence of the symposium is to let the general public know the fact of the situation. We are scholars and we are dispassionate. We work on facts and not emotions. Our analysis is pure. It will serve as a guidance to what is happening in this part of the world,” he said. (Punch)
