Buhari sends Onyeama to Benin Republic over April 28 poll

President Muhammadu Buhari, the ECOWAS Chairman, has dispatched the Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama to intervene in the political crisis in Benin Republic as the country heads for election on April 28. Ms Sarah Sanda, Media Aide to the Minister, said this in a statement yesterday in Abuja.

Sanda said that the minister in company of the ECOWAS Commission President, Jean Claude Brou, met with President Patrice Tallon of Benin on Thursday in Cotonou. She said the visit of the envoy is to resolve the political disagreement which prompted the opposition to threaten a boycott of the parliamentary elections scheduled for April 28.

“Benin Republic has been undergoing political reforms aimed at strengthening democracy.

“The reforms includes the registration of political parties with a view to having parties with national spread based on a new legislation that stipulates conditions for registration.

“However, out of the many parties that applied for registration, only a few have been successful both at the Ministry of Interior and the National Electoral Commission (CEMA).

“With barely a month to the parliamentary election scheduled for April 28, the opposition have complained about being deliberately shut out of the process by the government,” she said.

She said the opposition staged demonstrations and cried out to the ECOWAS to intervene or they will boycott the elections entirely.

She said that after initial engagements and reports from delegations from the ECOWAS Commission who visited the country, President Buhari who is the ECOWAS Chairman sent a Special envoy to meet with Cotonou President, Tallon.

The envoy, she said was received by Beninoise Minister of Foreign Affairs AurelienAgbenonchi and the Nigerian Ambassador to Benin Republic, Emmanuel Oguntuase. The envoy according to her, also met with the Tallon behind closed door to deliver the message of the ECOWAS Chairman, President Buhari. Sanda quoted Onyeama as saying : “President Buhari remains concerned about the growth of democracy in the sub region.”

”Hence his message to President Patrice Tallon to ensure that all politicians and political parties in Benin Republic are given a level playing ground to participate in the democratic process,” he said. (NAN)