By Abdullahi Muhammed, Abuja
Nigeria would give robust support to the Republic of Niger, which holds presidential and national assembly elections later this month, President Muhammadu Buhari has said.
The president said this Tuesday at the State House in Abuja, while receiving in audience former Vice President Namadi Sambo, who heads ECOWAS Election Mission to the West African country.He applauded President Mahamadou Issoufou, for not attempting to tamper with the constitution of the country, and elongate his stay in power, after serving for the maximum two terms.
“I come from Daura, few kilometers to Republic of Niger, so I should know a bit about that country. The President is quite decent, and we are regularly in touch. He is sticking to the maximum term prescribed by the Constitution of his country.“Also, we share more than 1,400 kilometers of border with that country, which can only be effectively supervised by God. I will speak with the president, and offer his country our support. We need to do all we can to help stabilize the Sahel region, which is also in our own interest,” he said.
The former vice president congratulated the president on the successful return of abducted schoolboys from Government Science Secondary School, Kankara, in Katsina state, and also his 78th birthday, last week.He pledged that ECOWAS would ensure peaceful and fair elections in Republic of Niger, despite current political, legal and security issues, adding that meetings were already being held with the relevant stakeholders.