By Raji Olatunji
A claim has been circulating on social media and some online platforms that three West African countries, Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso, decided to pull out of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) soon after Nigeria’s president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who is also the chairperson of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, travelled to France.
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The claim was made by Segun Sowunmi, a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in a recent interview on national television. Sowunmi was commenting on the current economic situation of Nigeria under the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) government.
He said: “What is our president doing there 24 hours? Are you then surprised that 24-36 hours after he arrived France, countries in West Africa who feel that France is the issue that they have with all of their own local politics are saying they want out of ECOWAS?”
To verify the claim, the timeline of the events was checked and here is what was found:
Tinubu left Abuja for Paris on a private visit on Wednesday, January 24, 2024, according to a report by Premium Times. The presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, had stated in a press release that Tinubu would embark on a private trip to France on Wednesday and return to Nigeria in the first week of February 2024. The Punch Newspaper also posted a video showing the moment the presidential jet was about to take off from the Abuja airport on Wednesday.
Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced their withdrawal from the regional bloc, ECOWAS, in a joint statement released on Sunday, January 28, 2024. The development was reported by multiple credible media outlets as can be seen here, here, here, and here. According to the reports, the three military-led West African countries accused the ECOWAS body of becoming a threat to member states.
From the above, it is clear that the claim that the trio’s withdrawal from ECOWAS came 24-36 hours after Tinubu’s trip to France is false. In fact, the announcement was made four days after Tinubu’s departure, not within 36 hours as claimed by Sowunmi.
Verdict: INACCURATE.
Based on the available evidence, the claim that Niger, Mali, and Burkina Faso announced withdrawal from ECOWAS 24-36 hours after Tinubu’s trip to France is INACCURATE.
Fact checked by CDD
