Lawyer blames Tinubu for Mali, Burkina Faso, Niger’s exit from ECOWAS

A legal luminary, Justice Osai Ahiakwo, has blamed President Bola Tinubu’s immediate reaction to the overthrow of the elected President Mohammed Bazoun of Niger as the main spark that caused the anger of the three former Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, members, Niger, Burkina Faso and Mali, to withdraw their membership from the Sub-African regional organisation.

According to his statement released in Calabar, Tinubu as the leader of Nigeria and ECOWAS has not shown a good example in tackling the failing economic situation in Nigeria and neighbouring countries.

He said the exit of the three countries did not come as a surprise.

He stated that what was missing was applying the appropriate diplomatic policy in determining the best ways of resolving the perennial problems of bad governance, corruption, insecurity, poverty, and unemployment plaguing the Republic of Niger and by extension other nations which prompted the sudden withdrawal of their membership.

“President Tinubu was unable to address the remote causes of the takeover of legitimate government by way of sponsored coups by the military juntas. There was no serious dialogue(s) between the sub-regional organization and the coupist.

“In combating corruption, Tinubu must be sincere and transparent enough to clean up the system of government of Nigeria before efficiently managing the commonwealth of the Economic Community of West African States,” he said.

Ahiakwo agreed that the blame for their exit should be on the leadership of ECOWAS.

The legal expert advised that to enthrone the true principle of democratically elected government, the leadership of ECOWAS should embody itself with the potential and capacity in offering good governance.

But the lawyer insisted that the military juntas controlling the three nations are not legitimate governments.