Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu is facing a huge backlash at home over his threat to use military force to reverse the coup in next-door neighbour Niger.

Local media report there was strong opposition to military intervention at a session of the upper chamber of parliament, the Senate, on Saturday, despite the fact that it is controlled by Mr Tinubu's party.

This was especially the case among lawmakers representing states along the more than 1,500km (930 mile)-long border with Niger, but there has also been countrywide condemnation of the possibility of war.

West African regional bloc Ecowas had set a deadline of Sunday for the junta to give up power - or face possible military action.

The decision was very much seen as Mr Tinubu's as he is Ecowas' current chairman, and Nigeria is its most influential member.

Although the junta has defied the ultimatum, Ecowas did not respond by immediately sending troops. This came as a relief to many Nigerians who prefer a diplomatic resolution to the crisis.

Some question whether a seven-day deadline was realistic given that Nigeria and other countries have to get parliamentary approval before deploying the military.

Many people are also appalled that electricity to Niger was cut on President Tinubu's orders, causing blackouts in Niger's capital, Niamey, and other cities.

Critics claim that this is in violation of a treaty that had enabled Nigeria to build a dam on the River Niger, though Mr Tinubu's supporters say the power cuts are aimed at pressuring the junta to hand back power to ousted President Mohamed Bazoum, without military confrontation.

Nigeria and Niger share strong ethnic, economic and cultural ties and any military intervention against Niger would affect northern Nigeria, already facing serious security challenges of its own.

An influential group of Muslim clerics in northern Nigeria said Mr Tinubu must not "rush into an avoidable conflict with a neighbour at the behest of global politicking".

Mr Bazoum was a key ally of the West, allowing former colonial power France and the US to keep military bases in the country to help in the fight against militant Islamists wreaking havoc across much of West Africa.

The military juntas in Mali and Burkina Faso have vowed to come to the defence of Niger's coup leaders if Ecowas does use force, raising the prospect of a major regional conflict.

All eyes are now on Mr Tinubu who has been the most vocal in condemning coups in West Africa, and said last month that Ecowas cannot be made up of "toothless bulldogs".

"We must stand firm on democracy. There is no governance, freedom and rule of law without democracy. We will not accept coup after coup in West Africa again," Mr Tinubu said, shortly after taking the leadership of the regional body.

Nigeria's constitution states that the president cannot deploy troops without the approval of the National Assembly - made up of both the upper and lower chambers of parliament.

It is unclear whether Mr Tinubu will get its support, given the opposition he is facing.

"Ecowas goofed, the Nigerian president also goofed," said Prof Khalifa Dikwa, an academic at the University of Maiduguri and a member of an influential group of elders in northern Nigeria.

In a cautious statement after Saturday's closed-door session, Senate leader Godswill Akpabio threw the ball into the court of the Ecowas parliament, saying it should provide "solutions to resolve this logjam as soon as possible".

President Tinubu's tough line against coups might be rooted in his own experience. He was barely a year in office as a lawmaker in the early 1990s before elections were annulled, parliament was dissolved and Gen Sani Abacha seized power.

He joined the pro-democracy movement that campaigned for a return to civilian rule, putting him in the crosshairs of the military that forced him into exile. He returned in 1998 after the death of Gen Abacha, one of Nigeria's most brutal and corrupt military rulers.

But there is a feeling among many Nigerians that Ecowas was too hasty in issuing an ultimatum to the junta, and President Tinubu had not given enough thought to the domestic implications of using force.

"Niger was a continuation of the northern part of Nigeria until the Berlin Conference [of 1884-1885, when foreign powers created Africa's current borders]. You expect the north to go to war against itself?" asked Prof Dikwa.

Unlike his predecessor Muhammadu Buhari, President Tinubu does not have a military background and neither does his national security adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who is a former policeman.

Ecowas army chiefs issued their own statement last week, saying they saw military intervention very much as a "last resort".

Critics say Mr Tinubu has a history of rushing to make big decisions, pointing to the fact that he used his first speech as president in May to announce the ending of a decades-long fuel subsidy, in unscripted remarks which led to chaos.

Ecowas leaders will now hold a summit in Nigeria's capital Abuja on Thursday to decide on the next line of action.

Although some other West African countries have promised to take part in any military intervention, it is hard to see them doing so without Nigeria, if the National Assembly does not give its backing.

Mr Tinubu wears two hats - that of Ecowas chairman and Nigeria's president. The one necessitates acting in the regional interest and in defence of democracy, but it could prove very costly to the other hat.

Mr Tinubu wears two hats - that of Ecowas chairman and Nigeria's president. The one necessitates acting in the regional interest and in defence of democracy, but it could prove very costly to the other hat.

shortgun:
Tinubu clearly doesn't have for governance or any strategy for administration. He's always hasty to concoct policies and decisions.

Curse777:



Some people are naturally stupid

ECOWAS declared war

Not Nigeria

Not Tinubu


Economic Comiunity Of West Africa State ECOWAS



.

Curse777:
Some people are naturally stupid...

Racoon:
You seems to have described yourself man. Guess it was ECOWAS parliament that asked Nigeria Senate to reject the utterly reckless attempt by Tinubu to sought the backing of the Nigerian parliament to use the Nigerian army to fight the war in Niger Republic?

It is even alleged that some of the actions on which Tinubu sought the senate approval had already been effectuated. What impunity! It is however gladsome that the senate refused the sacrilegious request to invade Niger by the drug baron. This is a 21st century man not era of black and white TV.

Curse777:



Some people are naturally stupid

ECOWAS declared war

Not Nigeria

Not Tinubu


Economic Comiunity Of West Africa State ECOWAS


Atleast 15 members country organization declared a military exercise, yet you single out Tinubu


.

Racoon:
A balabloo-blu-bulava drug baron and economic illiterate whose stock in trade is criminality thinks being twitchy or impulsive in decision means or equals being intelligent. The way his mummified zombies overhype him, may make tempted to think he is super human being.

Curse777:
..Nigeria had a meeting of 15 ECOWAS leaders and majority decided to use Military action to prevent break down of Democracy by a 35 year old young soldier.Tinubu went to Senate to relate the meeting and seek approval. And in your mind you blame him as if he deployed any troop.

Racoon:
A balabloo-blu-bulava drug baron and economic illiterate whose stock in trade is criminality thinks being twitchy or impulsive in decision means or equals being intelligent. The way his mummified zombies overhype him, may tempt one to think he is super human being.

Curse777:



There is a simple reason people like you and your ethnicity are not allowed close to Ado Rock

You are just not capable of reasoning and intelligence,

No wonder your region is backward and you are all scattered accross southwest to make ends meet

Simon Ekpa is probably wiser than all of you combined


Now to the subject;

Nigeria had a meeting of 15 ECOWAS leaders and majority decided to use Military action to prevent break down of Democracy by a 35 year old young soldier

Tinubu went to Senate to relate the meeting and seek approval

And in your mind you blame him as if he deployed any troop


.

BoldBrainz:


If Ebola Tinubu can be shameless, no Nigerian alive should ever feel shame and remorse, no matter the gravity of offence committed.

Racoon:
As par the people of sophisticated politics with warped reasoning ability, everyone is incapable of sound reasoning except you lots. The foolish drug baron, you hero worshipped have been found to be a gross illiterate in every ramifications.

Have you thought on his rash subsidy removal policy? He then started talking about an 8k palliatives measures in the midst of the overwhelming economic challenges facing this beleaguered nation. This is a so called first class graduate of accountancy here.

Now that backed fired. He then moved over to appointing fellow criminal cronies as technocrats. Imagine how ministerial appointees are still being shuffled like a card of whot game despite his alleged emilokan since 1999 to become president? Does this kind of irrational humanity appears serious in your eyes?

If ECOWAS made the decision, so why didn't he allowed the ECOWAS parliament to deliberate the modality of how the troop contribution will go? He promptly ordered his rubberstamp senate using his stooge criminal SP-Akpabio facing corruption charges with EFCC) to initiate the proceedings which was eventually reject by even the northern senators in solidarity with their Nigerien brethren. Tinubu is a disaster in decision and policy making.

Curse777:



Some people are naturally stupid

ECOWAS declared war (Military action)

Not Nigeria

Not Tinubu


Economic Comiunity Of West Africa State ECOWAS


Atleast 15 members country organization declared a military exercise, yet you single out Tinubu

.