Nasir El-Rufai: Why ECOWAS planned military intervention in Niger is war against northern Nigeria
On Tuesday, August 22, 2023, Nasir El-Rufai, the former governor of Kaduna State, declared in a tweet that any attack directed towards Niger is equivalent to initiating a war against the entirety of Northern Nigeria.
The former governor, whose nomination for a ministerial position by President Bola Tinubu was obstructed by the Nigerian Senate due to petitions concerning human rights abuses, alleged that the proposed military intervention by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) could potentially escalate tensions between Northern Nigeria and Niger.
“As ECOWAS drums up the prospect of war, my mind turns to the 1970s rock classic by Dire Straits – ‘Brothers in Arms’. A conflict within our subregion is, indeed, a conflict between brethren,” he stated.
A month into the military coup in Niger, orchestrated by Abdourahmane Tchiani, ECOWAS has maintained that it is contemplating military intervention to reinstate democracy in the nation of 25 million people, which shares borders with seven states in Northern Nigeria.
“The designated day for the military intervention has also been decided. We’ve already reached an agreement and ironed out the prerequisites for the intervention,” remarked ECOWAS Commissioner for Political Affairs, Peace, and Security, Abdel-Fatau Musah. He made this declaration during the concluding session of a two-day gathering of West African military chiefs in Accra, the capital of Ghana, on Friday, August 18, 2023.
El-Rufai’s recent remark has sparked discussions across Nigeria, as people point out his significance in the recent presidential election, where his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), emerged victorious. Many contend that due to Tinubu’s inability to intervene and ensure El-Rufai’s confirmation as a federal minister, the former governor, who wields substantial influence in Northern Nigeria, might initiate political disruptions within the party and the region, potentially undermining Tinubu’s popularity in Northern Nigeria.
“The people of Niger Republic are one and the same with those living in Northern Nigeria. Let us bend therefore over backwards to avoid this civil war between brothers,” he said.
