Senator Orji Uzor Kalu, the former governor of Abia State and current Senator representing Abia North Senatorial District, has offered advice to President Bola Tinubu. Kalu suggests that Nigeria should consider withdrawing its membership from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) instead of giving in to pressure from the US and France to engage in what he views as an unnecessary military confrontation with the junta in Niger Republic.
Speaking on Thursday in response to ECOWAS’ decision to deploy a standby force against the junta following an emergency summit in Abuja, Kalu expressed his concerns and urged President Tinubu to disregard the wishes of Western nations.
According to Kalu, the US and France are attempting to instigate Nigeria into a war with the military leaders in Niger Republic. He emphasized that going to war is not the appropriate course of action for ECOWAS and Nigeria. Kalu stated, “The United States wants us to go to war. France wants us to go to war. Why don’t they put their soldiers and go to war? We will give them the money to fight. Let them go to war on their own. We cannot go to war. This war is in our backyard.”
Kalu suggested that instead of engaging in war, ECOWAS should provide a specific timeline for the coup plotters in Niger Republic to present a detailed plan for the restoration of power to a democratic government. He emphasized, “I don’t think any Nigerian soldier’s death is good enough to be killed for another country. It is not our war. It is an internal problem of the Niger people. We have nothing to gain.”
Expressing his firm stance against Nigeria’s involvement in a war with the Niger junta, Kalu stressed that if it comes to a point where Nigeria’s membership in ECOWAS is at risk, the country should be prepared to withdraw from the bloc. He stated, “If it means pulling out of ECOWAS, Nigeria should pull out of ECOWAS if that is ECOWAS’s decision. We are a sovereign nation. Nobody can toil with 250 million Nigerians.”