Islamic clerics, on the platform of Ulama’a, on Thursday, said after they briefed President Bola Tinubu on their meetings with the military junta and their fellow Islamic clerics in Niger Republic, the President asked them to go back and continue with the dialogue in their efforts to find a peaceful resolution to the political impasse in the country.
The Islamic clerics, comprising different Islamic sects, insisted that they don’t want war or any military action in the country that shared boundaries with Nigeria.
Recall that since the military junta overthrew the democratically-elected Niger President, Mohamed Bazoum, on July 26 in a bloodless coup, the authorities of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, Heads of State and Government has insisted that the deposed President be reinstated.
Besides, ECOWAS, which has President Tinubu as its Chairman, had pronounced many sanctions against the military junta-led government, including military actions, if they failed to reinstate the democratically elected government.
In their second meeting with the President, the Islamic clerics led by Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi, maintained their initial position of resolving the political crisis amicably without the use of military might.
Consequently, the President mandated them to go back to Niger to continue the negotiations with the junta.
The delegation led by Sheikh Bauchi, met with the President at the Presidential Villa, Abuja to brief him on their dialogue with the military junta in Niger Republic on behalf of ECOWAS.
President Tinubu as the Chairman of the ECOWAS’ Authority of Heads of State and Government, approved their return to Niger Republic for another round of dialogue with the military junta.
After the meeting with President Tinubu, Sheikh Bauchi, told journalists:
“We have just met with President Bola Tinubu and told him all what went on there in Niger.
“He appreciated (our efforts) 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 sure, through peaceful discussions, we’ll be able to achieve what we want.
“We are still going back there to ensure that through peaceful and amicable ways, as spiritual leaders, we’ll be able to do and contribute what we can be able to do.
“What we want? We don’t want war, we want peace to reign in our region. So may Allah continue to bless the President for giving us this opportunity.”
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