By Marcus Ikechukwu
President Bola Tinubu has declared the emergency extraordinary summit of Heads of State and Authority of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) opened.
Shortly after declaring it open, he broke the summit into a closed-door session where Heads of State of ECOWAS would make final deliberations on the way forward for the Republic of Niger which experienced a peaceful coup de’ tate recently.
Among the leaders present at the Summit taking place at the Presidential Villa Abuja, includes President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone, President. Umaro Mokhtar Sissoco of Guinea Bissau, President Everiste Ndayishimiye of Burundi and President Alassane Ouattara of Cote d’Ivoire.
Others spotted by our correspondent includes President Mohamed Ould, Ghazouani of Mauritania, President Nana Akofo-Ado of Ghana, President Macky Sall of Senegal and President Patrice Talon of Benin Republic
The Presidents of Togo. Faure Essozimna Gnassingbé Eyadéma and President Adama Barrow of The Gambia are still being expected as at the time of filing this report.
Recall that ECOWAS now chaired by President Bola Tinubu had imposed a number of sanctions on the junta which ousted Mohammed Bazoum from office.
While the Nigerian government had deployed a delegation led by ex-Head of State Abdulsalami Abubakar, Sultan of Sokoto, Saad Abubakar and former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Babagana Kingibe to interface with the coupists, they came back without any tangible results.
ECOWAS through Tinubu had also directed the imposition of financial sanctions on Niger prior to the ongoing meeting in Abuja.
