Niger Coup: According to MBF, it is treasonous to send the Nigerian Army to Niger without getting senate consent.
August 11, 2023 Janet Luka
A contentious discussion has broken out in Nigeria over the recent deployment of the army there without the consent of the Senate. The Middle Belt Forum (MBF), however, has expressed alarm regarding President Bola Tinubu’s conduct.
According to Vanguard Newspapers, the Middle Belt Forum, MBF, has issued a warning that the deployment of Nigerian troops to the Niger Republic without the consent of the Nigerian Senate will constitute a treasonable offense.
Remember how Senior Advocates of Nigeria, or SANs, explained why President Bola Tinubu could not send troops to the embattled Niger Republic to restore democracy? He asserts that before sending soldiers to Niger to bring about peace, the President needs the Senate’s consent.
Dr. Bitrus Pogu, National President of MBF, stated, “To me, the entire situation as it relates to the Niger Republic feels like a double standard. Numerous events that occurred in ECOWAS were, according to the country’s current legal framework, unconstitutional.
He added, “We have been dealing with Boko Haram for years, and nobody has stepped in to help. We shouldn’t spend time on concerns and problems that don’t affect us.
According to @statesmanblog, Section 217 of the Nigerian Constitution gives the President the ability to send the armed forces on a military operation to defend all or a portion of Nigeria. However, the same clause mandates that before sending troops outside of Nigeria, the President must ask for and win the National Assembly’s approval. By guaranteeing a system of checks and balances, this clause precludes unilateral military acts that might have significant effects.
Additionally, without the Senate’s consent, Nigerian military cannot be sent outside of this nation. The President cannot unilaterally send out our soldiers based on our current legal framework. Recall that the Senate turned down the President’s request for a deployment earlier. The National Chairman of IMF continued, “So for him to bypass the Senate to do that will be a reasonable offence.”
In addition, the Middle Belt Forum claims that it is against the Constitution to send the Nigerian Army to another sovereign state without first receiving Senate consent. They contend that this disregards both the ethos of democratic governance and the principle of parliamentary scrutiny.