President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is presently in a meeting with a delegation of Nigerian Muslim leaders, led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. Recently, a group of Islamic leaders volunteered to engage with the military junta in the Republic of Niger on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and they received authorization from President Tinubu. They traveled to Niger Republic to hold discussions with the junta’s leader, General Abdourahamane Tchiani. These clerics advised against the use of military force by ECOWAS.
As the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government, it is expected that the Islamic leaders will provide President Tinubu with updates on their interactions with the coup leaders and their colleagues in Niger Republic regarding the ongoing political crisis. In response to the military takeover in Niger Republic, ECOWAS has imposed sanctions and issued an ultimatum, indicating that armed intervention might be considered.
The Islamic leaders advocate for peaceful resolution and oppose the idea of armed conflict with the Nigerien military. They cite their religious faith and the Quran, which encourages seeking mediation before resorting to war.
In a separate development, the military leader of Mali, Assimi Goïta, has warned that if ECOWAS attempts to invade Niamey, Niger, his country would intervene militarily and simultaneously invade Abuja, Nigeria’s capital, to reinstate the rightful winner of the 2023 elections.
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