Mohammed Shosanya
Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi, former Minister of Foreign Affairs has faulted South Africa for attributing the coup in Niger to the illegitimacy of President Bola Tinubu’s government.
In an interview on Monday,Akinyemi said that the Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) which Tinubu chairs ought to be the first to react to the coup in Niger, rather the African Union was the first to react in a bid to spite Tinubu on the face, stressing that the move was instigated by South Africa.
He said:“African Union (AU) and ECOWAS seem to be on the same page, actually they are not. Under the tradition of the African unit, ECOWAS is supposed to take the lead in confronting the issue in Niger and then the AU will follow up, instead the African Union took the lead in responding to the issue in Niger. Why was it so? This was something masterminded by South Africa to spite President Tinubu in the face. It was an anti-Tinubu action by the African union.
“Why do I say that South Africa is behind it? There is a video that is going around, which shows an analysis by South Africa television station, which blamed Tinubu for the coup in Niger. That it is because President Tinubu is illegitimate, because his election is contentious, that the coup had happened
“The AU got quickly to the bridge in order to spite President Tinubu in the face. ECOWAS is now imposing a seven day limit for a reaction while the African Union gave them 15 days, creating a situation, if they like, the Niger regime can exploit by saying it will listen to AU rather than ECOWAS.
“The problem in ECOWAS is not being posed by the western country, it is being posed by the African Union instigated by South Africa. Now, we have decisions taken by ECOWAS yesterday (Sunday) while AU has already taken a decision of 15 days to have a reaction,” he said.