A legal figure, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has pointed the finger at President Bola Tinubu’s immediate response to the overthrow of Niger’s elected President Mohammed Bazoun as the main trigger for the fury of the three former members of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) – Niger, Burkina Faso, and Mali – to pull out of the sub-Saharan regional organization.
In a statement released in Calabar, Ahiakwo stated that Tinubu, as the leader of Nigeria and ECOWAS, has not set a good example in addressing the deteriorating economic situation in Nigeria and neighboring countries.
He expressed that the departure of the three countries was not unexpected and emphasized the need for applying appropriate diplomatic policies to address the perennial issues of bad governance, corruption, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment affecting the Republic of Niger and other nations.
“President Tinubu failed to tackle the underlying causes of the takeover of the legitimate government through sponsored military coups. There was a lack of meaningful dialogue between the sub-regional organization and the coup leaders.
“In dealing with corruption, Tinubu must demonstrate sincerity and transparency in reforming the Nigerian government system before effectively managing the assets of the Economic Community of West African States,” he remarked.
Ahiakwo acknowledged that the leadership of ECOWAS should bear the responsibility for their exit.
The legal expert advised that for the establishment of truly democratic governance, the leadership of ECOWAS should embody the potential and capability to offer good governance.
However, the lawyer maintained that the military regimes governing the three nations lack legitimacy.