Atiku Abubakar, the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) presidential candidate, has urged for heightened security measures following the withdrawal of Mali, Burkina Faso, and Niger from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The military regimes of these Sahel countries, in disagreement with ECOWAS over imposed sanctions, jointly declared their immediate withdrawal from the regional bloc in a statement on Sunday.
As these nations share borders with Nigeria, concerns have arisen about the potential impact on Nigeria’s fight against terrorism, especially given the current security challenges along its northern border with Niger Republic.
Former Vice President Atiku, expressing his apprehension in a brief message posted on Sunday, characterized the situation as a “serious diplomatic meltdown.” He emphasized the need for Nigeria to intensify its efforts in safeguarding its security interests.
Atiku stated, “Reports about the withdrawal of three countries from our sub-regional body, @ecowas_cedeao, is concerning.
It is a matter of serious diplomatic meltdown. We must keep the country’s national security interest, especially the fight against terrorism, banditry, kidnapping, and others in focus while we appraise the situation.”
