President Bola Tinubu is currently meeting with a delegation of Nigerian Muslim leaders (Ulama) led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
We recall that a group of Islamic leaders had recently offered to interface with the coup leaders in Niger Republic on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and they got the approval from President Tinubu.
They were in Niger to interact with the junta’s head, General Abdourahamane Tchiani.
The Islamic clerics had advised against the use of military force by ECOWAS.
President Tinubu is the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government and it’s expected that the Islamic leaders will brief the President on the outcome of their interactions with the military junta as well as their colleagues in Niger Republic as regards the political crisis.
The ECOWAS had taken steps to show its disapproval of the military take over of power in Niger by imposing a series of sanctions and an ultimatum, which the body threatened could lead to an armed response.
ECOWAS has insisted that the military junta should reinstate the democratically-elected President.
The Ulama are opposed to war with the Nigerien military, as threatened by ECOWAS.
They said that apart from the dire consequences of armed conflict, they were enjoined by their religious faith and the Quran to seek mediation first in cases like this before resorting to war.
