- Senator Kalu conveyed his appeals and advice through his official Facebook page
- Kalu urged the junta to release ousted President Bazoum and suggests allowing him to leave for exile in another country, emphasizing that war is unnecessary
Senator Orji Kalu has called on the leader of the junta that removed President Abdourahmane Tchiani in Niger, along with the commander of Niger’s Presidential Guard, to free former President Mohammad Bazuom and his family who are currently detained.
Additionally, President Bola Tinubu has received counsel against engaging in conflict with neighboring Niger Republic, as such a move would have negative consequences and pose risks to Nigeria.
These statements were conveyed by Senator Orji Kalu via his official Facebook page on Saturday.
Kalu said, “I am appealing to the conscience of the Niger ruling military junta to release the ousted President, Muhammed Bazoum and allow him go on exile into another country.
“No one will bring war to you if you release him and his family because the war is not necessary,” he said, advising that the coup leaders should also plan a transition programme that would see to the return of civil rule in earnest.
Kalu pleaded with Tchiani to release Bazoum to go to Gabon, to Morocco, to Algeria or elsewhere adding, “I am in full support that an immediate dialogue between ECOWASand the military leader in Niger should hold.
“I am appealing directly to the conscience of the military leader that he should quickly release the president and his family and allow them to leave the country.
“The Americans are very willing to give them passage to any part of the world. So, it is really good for this general in Niger to quickly reconsider his action. I am hoping that nobody will come to war against you. It is not going to work as long as you release the former president and his children and give them a safe passage out of the country.
“I hope you will be wise to toe the path of reasoning. In as much as we don’t want any military confrontation, you should also do what is right by releasing the former civilian president to have the right of passage into any of the countries of their choice.
Kalu similarly advised Tinubu not to go to war with Niger, stating that it is dangerous to fight in one’s backyard.
“I think that the advisers of President Tinubu, which I am also one of them, should continue pleading with him not to join in that fight since the Nigerian Senate has already said, ‘No, you can’t go to war’, as he needs the authorisation of the Senate to go to war.
“I don’t think it is a good idea to go to that war”, the senator said, advising that what ECOWAS should do is to go to the junta to ask him to put up a democratic process plan.
“The junta should give us a plan, six months, one year or two years plan to return to civil democratic process. If the junta said that the President of Niger, Bazoum has already resigned, let us take it like that.
“It is not our war, it is Niger’s internal affairs, it is the internal problem of Niger people. I hope that my President, my friend and my brother will understand that this is not our war. We have nothing to fight those people for”.
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