Tinubu's call for a military invasion of the Niger Republic is rejected by the Nigerian senate.

The senate has rejected President Bola Tinubu's plan for a military intervention to reinstate democratic governance in the Niger Republic. 

The Nigerian president, who also serves as the head of the Economic Community of West Africa (ECOWAS), wrote to the national assembly on Friday, August 4, requesting assistance from the legislators for the implementation of ECOWAS resolutions regarding the political situation in the Niger Republic.

On Saturday, August 5, the Senate counseled President Tinubu against employing military force to remove the coup plotters after a two-hour discussion behind closed doors.

Tinubu was advised to use diplomacy to deal with the overthrow of the democratically elected government in the Niger Republic. Senate President Godswill Akpabio declared that they would be meeting with the president of Nigeria over their resolution; 

The Senate commends President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and other ECOWAS Heads of State and Government for their timely response and stance on the terrible events in the Niger Republic.

The Senate acknowledges that, contrary to what some have falsely claimed, President Tinubu did not request the Senate's permission to declare war in his email.

Instead, the President and Commander in Chief had 'wished to respectively solicit the cooperation of the National Assembly in the successful execution of the ECOWAS resolutions as indicated in the aforementioned communication'.

"The Senate urges on the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to further encourage other ECOWAS leaders to strengthen the political and diplomatic alternatives and other ways by which to overcome the political deadlock in the Niger Republic. The President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria serves as Chairman of ECOWAS.

"The National Assembly urged President Tinubu and the ECOWAS leadership to settle the political situation in Niger and restore democratic rule there as soon as possible.

"The leadership of the senate is tasked to continue engaging the President and Commander in Chief on behalf of the senate and the national Assembly on how to best address the matter in light of the up to this point amicable relationship between Niger and Nigeria.

The ECOWAS Parliament was urged by the Senate to rise to the occasion by denouncing this and proposing ways to break the impasse as soon as feasible.