I strongly encourage Peter Obi and the Labour Party (LP) leadership to convoke an emergency leadership/Senate caucus meeting to deliberate, and come up with a joint position on the permission sought of the Senate by Nigeria’s Commander-in-Chief as it concerns mobilising Nigeria’s military resources to enforce ECOWAS blockade on Niger Republic.
Unconfirmed sources say the Senate will deliberate the merits of the request on its next legislative sitting. No matter how few they may be, it is important that LP Senate Caucus meet, debate and agree on a joint position to take concerning the matter. Since their legislative decisions supposedly represent the views of the party they were elected on its platform, it is important to harmonise viewpoints on issues of major national significance as the issue pending before the Senate.
I also encourage Atiku Abubakar and the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to make similar efforts. With the help of just a few possible dissenters from the All Progressives Congress, PDP-LP partnership should be able to kill Tinubu’s rash policy proposal. Even if they are not able to stop it, they have the numbers to greatly limit the scope of the proposed military intervention.
Without strategic leadership of the opposition leaders at this time, Tinubu, in a hurry to prove himself, may railroad Nigeria into a costly misadventure. Given the number of opposition lawmakers at the Senate, Nigerians should hold the leadership of opposition parties to account if Tinubu succeeds in obtaining Senate approval for this rather hasty proposed military intervention in Niger Republic.
Africa’s morning is at hand.
Chima Christian
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