Niger's Coup: A Test for West African Democracy Bola Ahmed Tinubu - who holds the reins of power in Nigeria, a country that is more pow...
Niger's Coup: A Test for West African Democracy
Bola Ahmed Tinubu - who holds the reins of power in Nigeria, a country that is more powerful than any other country in the West African region - sees the coup in Niger as a test of the future of West African democracy.
As the head of the West African Union, he is facing great challenges as a result of the military coup in Niger, while most of the West African countries are struggling with the jihadists.
President Tinubu expressed his concern over the coup d'état in Burkina Faso, Mali and Guinea when he assumed the leadership of Nigeria in May.
He said that there is a need for Ecowas to increase its efforts to end the coup in the region and to fight against the insurgents that the region is suffering from.
After the head of the forces guarding the presidential palace of Niger overthrew the government of Mohammed Bazoum, Tinubu reacted to this by calling an emergency meeting of the leaders of West African countries at the presidential palace in Abuja last Sunday.
The Ecowas group has agreed to impose some sanctions on the country of Niger, which include cutting off the power line of Yamai, the capital of the country and other major cities in Nigeria, as announced by the Niger Electricity Authority.
Ecowas also gave Niger's army a promise to return the government of the country to the deposed president within a week, or take "all necessary measures including the use of military force."
The leaders of the West African countries met in Abuja, the capital of Nigeria.