The federal government says Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso exit from the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS was not done in good faith.
The Nigerian government position comes on the heels of warning by Senator Shehu Sani that the problems in ECOWAS should be settled through dialogue, confrontation, according to him, will not be in the interest of Nigeria.
The human rights lawyer said Nigeria needs the cooperation of the sahel countries, particularly Niger in its war against terrorism.
The three military junta -led Sahel nations, on Monday, announced their departure from the bloc, citing the need to protect their sovereignty and the interest of their people.
In a joint statement read on state television, they said ECOWAS has betrayed the ideals of the founding father of pan-Africanism.
“Furthermore, ECOWAS, under the influence of foreign powers, betraying its founding principles, has become a threat to its member states and its populations whose happiness it is supposed to ensure,” the statements said.
Foreign affairs analysts described the exit of the three countries as the latest confrontation between ECOWAS and the three countries now firmly under military rule.
ECOWAS said after the announcement that it has yet to received a formal notice, citing a provision in the treaty which says nay countries leaving the bloc must give one year notice.
The three countries said in the statement that their exit took immediate effect.
Responding on yesterday, Francisca Omayuli, spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said in a statement that the three countries decision to depart ECOWAS was not done in good faith, adding that such was done without considering the interest of their people to choose leaders of their choice.
The statement said Nigeria will continue to employ dialogue to resolve issues in other to promote peace within the region.
“It is now clear that those seeking to quit the Community do not share that same good faith. Instead, unelected leaders engage in a public posturing to deny their people the sovereign right to make fundamental choices over their freedom of movement, freedom to trade and freedom to choose their own leaders.
“Nigeria remains open for engagement with Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger so that all the people of the region can continue to enjoy the economic benefits and democratic values that ECOWAS embraces,” the statement said.
