The Senate has advised President Bola Tinubu to engage in diplomacy in order to return Niger Republic to democratic rule and restore ousted President Mohamed Bazoum to power.
The Red Chamber made the resolution after a four-hour closed-door session on Saturday to discuss the political development in the West African country.
The resolution of the upper legislative chamber followed an executive communication, which President Tinubu sought for the implementation of the resolution of ECOWAS on the political situation in Niger Republic.
The Red Chamber mandated its leadership to further engage with the President on behalf of the entire Senate to ensure how best to resolve the situation in the neighbouring country.
The Senate also called on the President as the Chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of the bloc to explore political and diplomatic options and other means with a view to resolving the impasse in Niger.
The Red Chamber, while condemning the Niger coup in totality, commended President Tinubu and other Heads of State of the other States of ECOWAS for their prompt response and the positions taken on the unfortunate development in Niger.
Reading the resolutions of the senators after the meeting, the President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, said that “The Senate recognises that President Tinubu via his correspondence has not asked for the approval of the parliament of this Senate to go to war as erroneously suggested in some quarters.
“Rather, Mr President has expressed a wish to respectfully solicit the support of the National Assembly in the successful implementation of the resolutions of the ECOWAS as outlined in the said communication.
“The Senate calls on the president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as the chairman of ECOWAS to further encourage other leaders of ECOWAS to strengthen political and diplomatic options and other means intending to resolve the political compass in Niger Republic.
“The National Assembly to the ECOWAS under the leadership of President Tinubu in resolving the political situation in Niger and returning the country to democratic governance in the nearest future.
“The leadership of the Senate is mandated to further engage with the president and commander in chief with on behalf of the Senate and the entire National Assembly on how best to resolve the issue given the hitherto existing cordial relationship between Nigeriens and Nigerians.
“Finally, the Senate calls on the ECOWAS parliament to rise to the occasion by equally condemning this coup and also positing solutions to resolving this compass as soon as possible.”