ECOWAS will not allow military junta to buy time in Niger – Tinubu

President Bola Tinubu said on Saturday the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) would not allow the Niger military junta to “insincerely” buy time.

Tinubu, according to a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated this at a meeting with the United States Presidential Envoy and Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Amb. Molly Phee, at the State House, Abuja.

He said war with the Niger Republic did not benefit his economic reforms in the country.

READ ALSO: Again, ECOWAS warns Niger junta against harming ousted President Bazoum

The president stressed that crisis in the landlocked West African nation would not deter him from concluding his economic reform programme successfully for the benefit of Nigerians.

President Tinubu was reacting to a three-year transition programme drawn by Gen. Abdourahamane Tchiani-led military junta in Niger.

He said: “We are deep in our attempts to peacefully settle the issue in Niger by leveraging on our diplomatic tools. I continue to hold ECOWAS back, despite its readiness for all options, in order to exhaust all other remedial mechanisms.

“War is not ideal for my economic reforms or for the region, but the defense of democracy is sacrosanct. The ECOWAS consensus is that we will not allow anyone to buy time insincerely.”

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