By Rotimi Fasan
This column last week supported the overwhelming views of Nigerians that the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration should have nothing to do with any kind of direct military intervention in the affairs of Niger under the Abdourahamane Tchiani-led junta. That rejection of force in the restoration of democratic order in Niger was based on the pragmatic reason that Nigeria has more than enough of her own internal crises to contend with, and that adding the political crisis in Niger to all of these is the least of our problems, more so as Nigeria would likely bear the bulk of the financial burden that would come from the deployment of troops.
Since that time, enough had happened to make one have a slight but fundamental shift of position, all owing to the attitude of the junta in Niger and the manner some players and commentators in the Nigerian political space have chosen to misrepresent the crisis in Niger while attacking Abuja. But first before any elaboration of my adjusted take on Nigeria’s position in the Nigerien crisis, let’s turn attention to Nigeria’s critics of the supposed position of Abuja, which is the position of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, in the matter.
