Niger coup: Lamido urges Tinubu to confer with former Nigerian leaders

*** Says, the President lacks knowledge on international diplomacy

Former Governor of Jigawa State, Mr Sule Lamido has admonished president Bola Tinubu to tap from the wisdom and connection of Nigeria’s former President’s and heads of State in dealing with the crisis in Niger Republic.

Lamido, who was Nigeria’s minister of Foreign Affairs during President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration, said the coup in the Niger has given President Tinubu away as someone who does not possess the needed knowledge and understanding in international diplomacy.
Lamido, who stated these while reacting to the stand adopted by ECOWAS Authority Heads of State and Government on the coup d’etat in Niger Republic explained that being an emperor who deployed total dominance of the most populous and prosperous State of Lagos does not confer on him any wisdom in diplomacy.

According to him, since the military intervention in Niger Republic, President Tinubu has found himself walking on a very tightrope and in a state of dilemma on how best to handle the situation in that country.

He further indicated that since the Senate, which is empowered by the Constitution to authorize the President with approval for war, has withheld its endorsement, the best available option left for President Tinubu is to embark on damage control by harvesting from the connection, wisdom and experience of Nigeria’s former Presidents and Heads of State.

In the words of Lamido; “These leaders are highly respected and trusted not only in our sub-region but globally. There is indeed no love lost between President Tinubu and some of them, but certainly, on any issue that affects Nigeria no matter how remote, those leaders will always be there for Nigeria”.

From a post on his verified 
Facebook account, the former Governor of Jigawa State said he had expected President Tinubu right from the beginning to look into the chemistry of the cocktail called ECOWAS before taking a weighty decision on any issue that affects the region and its consequences on the country.

In the post titled; “Nigeria/Niger face off”, Lamido said had Tinubu done so, he would have found out what is the history of one of the oldest members of the region, President Alassane Quattara of Ivory Coast, adding that there was a time when Quattara’s nationality was in dispute as it argued that his ancestral country was Mali.
“President Lauren Ghabbo disqualified him from running as president even though he was once Prime Minister of Ivory Coast! But today he is the President of Ivory Coast.

“By a twist of fate, there is today a military junta in Mali (his ancestral home) running the country and we have not heard President Quattara asking for a war to be launched on Mali in the name of democracy. The saying blood is thicker than water readily comes to mind.

“Back to Nigeria and the faceoff with Niger, there is total unanimity in Nigeria that we should not go to war with Niger Republic for so many reasons given by all and sundry, especially the seven States contiguous to the Niger Republic!

“Time is not on the side of both countries. What we had in the last one thousand years has been lost in a matter of a few weeks. But we have a bond and love for each other to build on,” he said.