By UCHE NNADOZIE

Barring unbridled partisanship, I can’t fathom why a Nigerian – especially an adult with a measure of geo-political appreciation will find gumption to support the Niger Republic junta.

To make it worse, there seems to be a well orchestrated campaign against President Bola Tinubu over any action or inaction he may have taken or wishes to take regarding one of our most important neighbours in her hour of unintended political instability.

Niger Republic is not just our neighbour, covering almost the entire length of our northern boundary which is over 1,600km, it is sad to see adults openly support coups and in some cases calling for same to happen at home.

To show our cultural affinity, 53% of Nigeriens are Hausa, just like in northern Nigeria. What’s more, 99% are Muslims. These two factors clearly explain the uneasy reactions that have trailed ECOWAS resolutions concerning the putche led by General Abdourahamane Tchiani.

While I understand the apprehension of the states that border Niger, what I don’t understand is what people expect president Tinubu and his team to do? Should he fold his arms and watch a coup succeed in a country that is very close to us by geography, economically and culturally?

In ECOWAS which is made up up of 15 countries, only five are anglophone like Nigeria. More than eight are franchone. As we speak, four are under military rule including Mali, Burkina Faso and Guinea. Now Niger has joined. With this, looking at Africa’s map, you’ll notice that the continent has been cut into two at it’s belt. A middle ruled by dictators, then the north and south waiting for their turns (?). It’s a troubling prospect at best. And I don’t think we should treat this threat with levity.

Coups for me were a distant possibility in Nigeria. But not anymore. Thankfully, no better person to feel concerned than Tinubu himself, having joined other patriots to assist in the fight against the bloody vicegrip which our military held down the country for decades.

Incidentally, soon after his inauguration as president, ECOWAS came calling and appointed him the chairman of the political cum economic sub regional bloc. My question again is, besides the direct interest of Nigeria in Niger, as chairman of ECOWAS should our president not champion resolutions reached by member-states?

Some commentators have touted benign and obvious imperialist interests. They list France, Russia and their allies – forgetting that Nigeria has very strategic interested eye in Niger. In fact, what is happening in Niger affects our collective national strategic interest and I believe that beyond ECOWAS, Nigeria cannot hide behind anyone to ensure that Niger is restored to ordered constitutional democracy.

Russia who does not see anything wrong in her own invasion of Ukriane, today is lecturing ECOWAS on what to do or not.

Economically, our proposed gas assets are supposed to be pipped through Niger to Europe. That’s unarguably the shortest and cheapest route. If you don’t see why a destabilised Niger is to Russia’s advantage in the global gas market, then let’s leave it at that.

People have voiced their opposition towards one of the resolutions of ECOWAS which said military action against the coupists would be used if the junta fails to toe civil superiority. They forget that in international relations, part of deterrence factors is the deployment of threats and imminent armed conflict.

These threats can be in different shapes. It could entail mere verbal resolution. It may also include active drills, shut down of airspaces, warning shots, missle launches, blockades, sanctions, etc. There’s nothing ECOWAS or Tinubu has done that is beyond contemporary diplomatic best practices.

People have noted that the ousted democratic government of President Mohamed Bazoum was not doing well that’s why they were booted out. Ask them for the facts, they go numb. By the way what has the military governments in the other three west African countries done since they took over? Have they transformed their countries to eldorado?

In Niger, the president has been acknowledged to have done a decent job since he took office. He has helped a lot with the onslaught against Boko Haram and bandits that trouble Nigeria, he has impressed with his handling of that country’s economy, helped with good policies which have promoted girl-child education. What’s more, he’s just two years in office.

Since he declared his government’s determination to probe military spending, the coupists got ideas, initiated and implemented   copycatism of notorious military coups in francophone west Africa.

Being a perennial Tinubu critic or partisan supporter of a different political candidate should not make us support coup plotters by pretending to not want war or not want our country to participate in a sub regional effort to reverse unconstitutionality.

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It is ironic that while on hand you stay in Nigeria to campaign for democracy, yet support military rule in the most strategic neighbouring country.

Truth is under the auspices of ECOWAS, Nigeria needs to tame the resurgence of bandit regimes called military juntas. There is no detergent called  hypocrisy that can wash a military regime clean of its inherent dirt.

This is an opportunity for our country to re-establish our leadership role on the continent, by not allowing Europeans including Russia to determine how we organise ourselves. The way to do it is to show leadership, not by buckling under the blackmail of domestic issues. No country is immune from domestic issues either. In this Niger situation, their internal issue has direct bearing on our national interest.

The currency of dominance in the international system is power. We have to show it, despite our domestic issues.

It is not about showing off. It’s about shaping up. Whether we put boots on ground or aircraft in the sky, Nigeria must not stand aside and watch coups around us.

Copycatism is in action. Who says Nigerian soldiers can’t copy what these soldiers of fortune are on about around us? And we can’t afford another military rule, we are still struggling to erase the memory of our last bitter experiences.

It’s understandable for compatriots to reject any intervention in Niger. The apprehension is well understood. But what’s the alternative?

Yes some people are protesting in Niger. They support the military government. But is it not the same military men that ran the country with the politcians? Is it difficult to get protesters in a poor country like Niger? We are used to such propaganda…

I welcome all the interventions from concerned groups and individuals despite initial rebuff by the junta. The recent effort by our Muslim, northern and political leaders are in order and I pray they succeed. They have thawed the ice and I expect rigorous diplomatic manovres in the next few days. What’s important is for something to be done.

Here is hoping that all these efforts lead to the reinstatement of President Bazoum. It is democracy that could have brought the president to power being from a minority ethnic group, as his heritage, Diffa Arab share of that country’s population is a paltry 0.4%. Military rule is not an option in Niger and it’s not in our strategic national interest. A peaceful, constitutional democracy in Niger is at the core of our own national interest. We cannot offload that responsibility to another entity or to the fear of the unknown.

No doubt Niger needs a lot of work seeing that illiteracy rate is at 75%. In fact democracy in Africa should be about better life for the people. That’s what will kill legitimacy which coup plotters desperately seek.

The Star