President Tinubu names former head of state General Abdulsalami Abubakar, as special envoy to Niger to negotiate with the military junta. Abubakar leads other delegates that include Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, H.E. Omar Alieu Touray.
In a separate diplomatic move, President Tinubu, also charges veteran diplomat and politician Babagana Kingibe to go to Libya and Algeria to explain ECOWAS concern about the coup in Niger. Kingibe leads another team.
According to spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, President Tinubu charged the two delegations to engage all stakeholders robustly with a view to doing whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for the purposes of African peace and development rather than a move to adopt the geopolitical positions of other nations.
Meanwhile the 7-day deadline given the coup makers to restore democracy ticks away.