By Ayo Kehinde
The coup plotters that sealed off the Niger Republic presidential palace have ousted President Mohammed Bazoum from power
Led by Colonel Amadou Abdramane, the couple plotters announced on statewide television broadcast that they have ended the two- year old government of Presidential Bazoum after failed negotiations while members of the presidential guard held him and his family hostage in the presidential palace.
According to Colonel Abdramane, Bazoum was removed , “due to the deteriorating security situation and bad governance.” He also announced the closure of the country’s borders.
He warned all external partners not to interfere, announcing that land and air borders were closed until the situation had stabilised.
According to Abdramane, a night curfew would take effect from 22:00 to 05:00 local time until further notice.
President Bazoum took office on April 2, 2021, and successfully thwarted a coup attempt just two days before his inauguration on March 31, 2021.
This event marks Niger’s first successful coup since 2010.
Nigerian President Bola Tinubu had condemned the coup on Tuesday while reports said he sent two former governors and a serving army general to negotiate terms to stop the change of guard with the coup plotters.
Tinubu is Chairman of the West African regional group, the Economic Community of West African states, ECOWAS.
“As the Chairperson of ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, I state without equivocation that Nigeria stands firmly with the elected government in Niger and equally conveys the absolute resolve of leaders in our sub-region that we shall not waiver or flinch on our stand to defend and preserve constitutional order”, Tinubu said on Tuesday.
ECOWAS), the African Union, the United States and the United Nations have condemned the coup.
