Niger coup: I’m dealing with a really dangerous scenario – Tinubu

PRESIDENT Bola Tinubu said yesterday that he was in charge of a critical issue and that he was the one impeding the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, heads of state and government.

President Tinubu, the Chairman of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government, also urged a delegation of Islamic scholars (Ulamas) who had previously been engaged in discussions to facilitate the restoration of constitutional democratic governance in Niger Republic to move forward with their ongoing dialogue with the military junta.

According to Ajuri Ngelale, the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, “I am managing a very serious situation.” If we ignore ECOWAS, other people will react, people who are beyond our control. I am the one who is restraining those aspects. “I am the one who is holding back ECOWAS.”

”Even as of this morning, I have been swamped with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military power and contributions,” he said. But I told them to wait. I’ll get back to you after I meet with the Ulamas.”

The Islamic clerics under the umbrella of Ulama’a informed President Bola Tinubu yesterday on their talks with the military junta and revealed that the President has dispatched them back to Niamey to continue their diplomatic efforts to resolve the Sahel country’s political issue.

Following the discussion, Islamic clerics from various Islamic sects reiterated that they do not desire war or military action in the country that shares borders with Nigeria.

The military, led by Abdourahamane Tchiani, deposed the democratically elected President of Niger in a bloodless coup on July 26.

However, ECOWAS heads of state and government have insisted that the deposed President be reinstated. “ECOWAS, which has President Tinubu as its Chairman, has announced many sanctions against the military junta, including military actions if they fail to reinstate the democratically elected government.”

At their second meeting with the President, Islamic clerics led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi maintained their initial position of peacefully resolving the political issue without resorting to military force.

President Tinubu has directed that they return to Niger to continue negotiations with the junta.
The delegation, led by Sheikh Bauchi, met with the President at the Presidential Villa in Abuja to brief him on ECOWAS’s conversation with the Niger Republic’s military junta.

Sheikh Bauchi, speaking to State House media after his meeting with President Tinubu, expressed gratitude for the opportunity to meet with the President.

“We thank Allah for giving us the opportunity, and we appreciate and commend the President’s efforts, and as you saw, we just met with him and told him everything that happened in Niger, and he appreciated, and he still gave us the mandate that we should continue to make this dialogue and discuss with the junta over there, because they gave us listening ears, and we are confident that we will be able to achieve what we want through peaceful discussions,” he said.

“We are still going back there to ensure that, as spiritual leaders, we can do and contribute what we can do in peaceful and amicable ways.”

“What do we want?” We do not want conflict; we want peace in our region. So may Allah bless the President for providing us with this opportunity.”