Professor of Political Science Jideofor Adibe recently spoke on Arise to discuss Nigeria’s inherent interest in the crisis occurring in neighboring Niger. As tensions rise as a result of the military takeover of the Niger government, Jideofor cautioned that if the situation worsens, Nigeria could expect a massive flood of refugees.
Jideofor’s concern originates from Niger’s recent military takeover and subsequent incarceration of the democratically elected president. He noted that the principle of non-interference in domestic issues, which was traditionally firmly adhered to, has developed.
He added that the principle of sovereignty is no longer absolute, and the international community now invokes the notion of “responsibility to protect” (R2P) as a justification for intervening in countries facing internal crises.
The professor stressed that what affects one country often has ripple effects on neighboring nations. In Nigeria’s case, its proximity to Niger heightens the need for vigilance, as any escalation of the crisis could lead to an influx of refugees crossing the border seeking safety.
The second reason is that what affects one country tends to affect all. For example, we share a border with Niger, if the crisis gets out of hand we will be overwhelmed by refugees.
So, at least from the perspective of self-preservation and national self-interest, we have to be interested. Our interest precedes that of Bola Tinubu being the authority of the head of states.
The supplementary protocol on democracy and many other protocols on good governance clearly state that coups are no longer acceptable methods of coming to power.”
