The Federal Government’s rejection of any intention to allow other nations to establish military bases in Nigeria, as reported by the Arewa Consultative Forum on Tuesday, brought relief to the group.
The northern group appealed to President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government “to forever refuse to entertain, let alone accede, to requests to site any foreign military base in Nigeria.”
This came as it urged the National Assembly’s northern deputies to maintain their vigilance and be prepared to turn down any request for authorization to establish foreign military bases within the nation.
“Our representatives in the National Assembly should remain alert, ready to emphatically and unequivocally reject any request for approval to set up foreign military bases in Nigeria,” said ACF in a statement on Tuesday by its National Publicity Secretary, Prof. Tukur Mohammed-Baba.
The leaders of the National Assembly and President Tinubu received a letter from the northern elders on May 3, 2024, urging them to oppose pressure from the United States and France.
However, the Minister of Information refuted the assertion, advising the public to ignore fictitious alerts and highlighting the government’s dedication to ongoing international collaboration in tackling security issues.
In response, the ACF expressed relief on Tuesday following the FG’s denial.
The pan-northern socio-political organization called it a “soothing balm and a thing of pride worth celebrations” and stated that the Federal Government should be commended for adopting such a brave and consoling position.
The development, it added, was a victory for all patriotic Nigerians who had indicated that they were prepared to fight against the “rumored” plans to host US and French military bases in Nigeria after those plans were rejected in the Niger and Burkina Faso republics.
It, however, called on “citizens, labour unions, professional associations, academia, media organisations, special interest groups, etc., to continue to remain vigilant and ever ready to campaign against the siting ever of foreign military bases in Nigeria.”
