A Nigerian Senator, Ali Ndume, who is also a member of the ECOWAS Parliament, has expressed optimism that Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic will soon rescind their decision to leave the regional bloc.
Senator Ndume, one of the longest-serving members of the ECOWAS parliament, stated this in an interview with journalists on the sideline of the ongoing ECOWAS Parliament Extraordinary session taking place in Kano, North West Nigeria.
He disclosed that the countries' time out was over now, adding that all that was needed to bring them back into the fold was now in place.
The lawmaker said: "The bad blood which led to the decision to leave has since been drained and Niger is no longer annoyed with sister West African countries especially Nigeria and as such the country from all indications is ready to come back."
He noted that the decision to leave the bloc was made after the coup in Niger was condemned by all ECOWAS member states, and sanctions were imposed on the country.
"The ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government led by President Bola Tinubu of Nigeria lifted the restrictions and bans; it is now left to the three countries to reciprocate.
"The Parliament is playing its role as I told you; we had an ad hoc committee even from the previous parliament looking into this issue and we are receiving positive results.
"I am personally involved and there is hope and very soon we will get back together as we are in the process of resolving it," Senator Ndume said.
Niger, Mali and Burkina Faso had in January this year announced their withdrawal from the ECOWAS as a direct reaction to their early suspension from the regional bloc for coup d'état.
The trio had during a public announcement of their severing relationship with fellow West African countries, said they took the "sovereign decision" to withdraw from the regional bloc for the good of their people.
The military junta in Mali took over power in August 2020 while soldiers in Burkina Faso overthrew a democratic government in September 2022.
Soldiers in the Niger Republic in July 2023 sacked the democratic government in the country, forcing the authority of ECOWAS to impose sanctions on the three Sahelian countries.
