From Cross Udo, Abuja 

President Bola Tinubu yesterday said the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Heads of State and Government ultimatum against the military junta in Republic of Niger is not a Nigeria’s ultimatum. 

This is as the President has ordered the acting governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), to make another financial sanction against individuals and entities that are relating with the military junta that overthrew the democratically elected government. 

Briefing State House correspondents, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale explained that the ultimatum by the ECOWAS even though President Tinubu is the Chairman, remains the position of the regional body and not the position of Nigeria as a country.

He said in recent days following the expiration of the ECOWAS ultimatum to the military junta to reinstate the sacked democratically elected government, the President has widened his consultations. 

He said: “Concerning the ultimatum given to the military junta in Niger public. The ECOWAS mandate, and ultimatum is not a Nigerian ultimatum. It is not a Nigerian mandate and the office of His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, also serving as the chairman of ECOWAS seeks to emphasise this point. 

“That due to certain domestic and international media coverage, tending towards a personalization of the ECOWAS sub regional position to his Preston and to our nation individually. 

“It is because of this that Mr. President has deemed it necessary to state unequivocally that the mandate and ultimatum issued by ECOWAS is that of ECOWAS’s position.  

“While His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has assumed the ECOWAS chairmanship, the position of ECOWAS conveys the consensus position of member heads of state. And a coup will not occur in one’s backyard, without one be particularly aware of it. 

“The President in recent days, particularly following the expiration of the ultimatum given by ECOWAS has widened consultations internationally but most especially domestically, including interfaces with state governors in Nigeria, who govern states bordering Niger public on the various fallouts and outcomes of the unfortunate situation that has unfolded in Niger Republic.

“But President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, wishes to emphasize to this distinguished audience that the response of ECOWAS to the military coup in Niger has been and will remain devoid of ethnic and religious sentiments and considerations.

“The regional bloc is made up of all sub-regional ethnic groups, religious groups, and all other forms of human diversity. And the response of ECOWAS, therefore, represents all of these groups, and not any of these groups individually.

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“While no options have been taken off of the table of people as we do, draw the attention of this audience to the upcoming Ico loss, extraordinary Summit, which will be holding in Abuja on Thursday, August 10. It is therefore expected that at the extraordinary summit, far reaching decisions will be taken concerning the next steps of the regional bloc according to developments as they unfold.”

He further said: “I can also report that following the expiration of the deadline of the ultimatum and standing on the preexisting consensus position of financial sanctions meted out on the military junta in Niger Republic by the bloc of ECOWAS Heads of State, His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has ordered an additional slew of financial sanctions through the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on entities and individuals related to or involved with the military junta in Niger Republic.”

Explaining more on the new sanctions, he said: “The news that Mr. President has directed the acting CBN governor to levy another slate of sanctions against entities and individuals associated with the military junta in Niger public, I said that intentionally I didn’t make a mistake, because I was given permission to make that statement and I emphasized that this is not an individual action taken by an individual President on behalf of individual nation. 

“This is an action taken by ECOWAS chairman, who is the president of Nigeria, but standing on the authority provided by the consensus resolution of all ECOWAS members and heads of state with regard to financial sanctions being levied by ECOWAS member states against the military junta in Niger Republic. 

“There is an authority that we are standing on. It is not Nigerian government authority; it is the authority of the resolution passed in public before now. This is the context, the nuance and the detail that is required in our reports, lest our people be misinformed, and we begin to be framed internationally as being in a situation where it’s Nigeria versus its neighbour, Niger, because that’s the narrative that some certain international perspectives would like to advance for their own interest.”