By Cross Udo, Abuja

Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government and Nigerian President, Bola Tinubu, has dispatched a delegation to Niger Republic with a mandate to expeditiously resolve the current political impasse in the country.

The action was in line with the resolution reached at the end of the extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS held last weekend in Abuja.

A statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, stated that the delegation, headed by former Nigerian Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd), left for Niamey yesterday following a briefing by President Tinubu at the State House in Abuja.

The former Nigerian Head of State is joined in the delegation by the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Sa’ad Abubakar III, and the President of the ECOWAS Commission, His Excellency. Omar Alieu Touray.

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*Urges robust dialogue to end impasse

According to the statement, the President has also sent a separate delegation led by Ambassador Babagana Kingibe to engage with the leaders of Libya and Algeria on the Niger crisis.

Briefing the two delegations, President Tinubu charged them to engage all stakeholders robustly to do whatever it takes to ensure a conclusive and amicable resolution of the situation in Niger for African peace and development rather than a move to adopt the geopolitical positions of other nations.

Tinubu was quoted as saying, “We don’t want to hold brief for anybody. Our concern is democracy and the peace of the region.”

Speaking after the meeting, General Abubakar said the delegation would meet the coup leaders in Niger to present the demands of the ECOWAS leadership.

Both leaders of the two missions expressed optimism about the outcome of the assignments.