Former Nigeria’s Ambassador to Niger Republic, Lawrence Obisakin, has urged the Tinubu administration to exercise caution in its handling of the ongoing Nigeria-Niger situation.
This follows recent tensions sparked by a viral video in which General Abdourahamane Tchiani, the military leader of Niger Republic, accused Nigeria and France of conspiring to destabilize his country.
In response to these allegations, the Nigerian government rejected the claims, asserting that it had not engaged in any covert or overt alliance with France or any other country.
Ambassador Nurain Abayomi Mumuni, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress, has advised President Bola Tinubu to involve the African Union or the United Nations to ease the rising tensions between the two countries. The Nigerian government, in turn, defended its position, highlighting President Tinubu’s leadership as Chairman of ECOWAS and his efforts to keep diplomatic channels open with Niger Republic despite the political crisis there.
Speaking on Channels Television, Obisakin emphasized the importance of cautious diplomacy, stating that Nigeria must be careful with its statements regarding its neighbors, as international relationships can shift, but neighbors remain unchanged.
Obisakin warned, ”Nigeria needs to be careful in its utterances concerning its neighbours because in international relations you can change your trading partners but not your neighbours.”
