CUPP warns Nigerian govt against military invasion of Niger Republic

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP), has warned the Federal Government against undertaking the onerous measure of deploying Nigerian soldiers to invade Niger Republic in a bid to to reinstate ousted civilian President Mohammed Bazoum who was removed in a coup last week.

In a statement on Saturday, CUPP said the planned military intervention in Niger by Nigeria will be an effort in futility as Nigerian soldiers are already overwhelmed with fighting insurgency and terrorism in the country.

In the statement issued in Abuja by CUPP Co-National spokesperson, Mark Adebayo, the group described such planned intervention as “costly, unnecessary and absolutely thoughtless”, saying it is “neither a war that Nigeria can afford nor win, especially in the face of the overwhelming popularity of the coup among the generality of Nigeriens.”

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“It has come to our notice the preparations by Nigeria and some other West African countries for a military intervention in Niger Republic ostensibly to reinstate the overthrown civilian government in the country,” the organisation said.

“First, Nigeria, in its current socioeconomic state cannot afford such a costly intervention. The Nigerian military have been overstretched over the years battling terrorism and all manners of insurgency that are still very active and draining the country’s resources to the tune of billions of Naira weekly.

“It is not only unnecessary but absolutely thoughtless for Nigeria to contemplate intervening militarily in the internal affairs of another country when the security situation in our own country remains a serious challenge to our military and other security agencies with an economy that is currently sick.

“It is neither a war that Nigeria can afford nor win especially in the face of the overwhelming popularity of the coup among the generality of Nigeriens. Any military intervention without the support of the the people of Niger is dead on arrival and it is glaring that the coup that toppled President Mohammed Bazoum was a widely popular one.

“Therefore, Nigeria cannot afford to waste its dwindling resources and the precious Iives of our soldiers fighting an unnecessary war that it can ill-afford. The sick cannot treat the sick. Nigeria should rather concentrate on healing itself instead of looking for trouble in another country

“We support any diplomatic efforts by the West African subregion to resolve the Nigerien impasse. But a military intervention is taking the matter too far and we daresay it would fail catastrophically.

“President Bola Tinubu should avoid plunging Nigeria’s fragile economy into more depression by intervening militarily in another country.

“Even if diplomatic channels have been exhausted, Nigeriens should be allowed to run their country as they deem fit even though we support the survival of democracy based on good governance in Africa. You can’t force a people against their own will to do what they don’t consider its in their best interests.

“Nigeria should leave Niger alone to determine its own present and future. Whatever interventions are being contemplated should remain within the purview of diplomacy – no more, no less.”

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