President Bola Tinubu has written to the Nigerian Senate requesting support for ECOWAS decisions regarding the political turmoil in neighboring Niger Republic. This includes potential military action to restore democracy after last week’s coup.

In the letter, Tinubu outlined ECOWAS positions under his leadership as the bloc’s chair. The letter comes after ECOWAS gave Niger’s new military junta one week to reinstate ousted President Mohamed Bazoum or face escalated sanctions.

“Following the unfortunate political situation in the Niger Republic culminating in the overthrow of its President, ECOWAS under my leadership condemned the coup in its entirety and resolved to seek the return of the democratically elected govt,” the letter stated.

It listed ECOWAS actions including border closures, cutting power supply to Niger, mobilizing international pressure, and preparing for military intervention if non-compliance persists.

Tinubu is notably seeking Senate backing for more assertive steps like military deployment should negotiations fail to quickly restore Bazoum’s government.

The request underscores how seriously ECOWAS is weighing intervention to reverse Niger’s coup, the third in the West African region in recent years. Tinubu aims to act decisively as ECOWAS chair while shoring up domestic political support.