Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Shehu Sani has berated the French ambassador in Niger Republic, Sylvain Itte for refusing to obey the order from the embattled country.
OsunDailyNG recalls that on Friday, the Niger Republic junta ordered Itte to leave the country within 48 hours.
In a statement, the country’s foreign ministry said the decision to expel the ambassador stemmed from his refusal to honour an invitation by Niger’s minister of foreign affairs
The statement also added that “other actions by the French government contrary to the interests of Niger” led to the ambassador’s withdrawal.
However, the French ambassador ignored the ultimatum.
Hours after the expiration of the deadline, France president, Emmanuel Macron applauded Itte for staying put.
“France and its diplomats have faced particularly difficult situations in some countries in recent months, from Sudan, where France has been exemplary, to Niger at this very moment,” the French president said.
Reacting to Itte’s refusal to leave the country, Sani wondered if an African ambassador could do the same thing in France.
Speaking via Twitter, he wrote, “The Niger Military Junta told the French Ambassador to leave the country and he is refusing to go. Can an African ambassador behave like that in France if he is asked to leave the country without him being escorted to the Airport?”
