Niger coup: I’m managing very serious situation —Tinubu… 

President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, said he was managing a serious situation and that he was the one holding back the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, heads of State and government.

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

The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, said: “I am managing a very serious situation. If you take ECOWAS aside, other people will react, those who are outside of our control. I am the one holding those sides back. I am the one holding back ECOWAS. “

On the urgency of the situation, he said: ‘’Even as at this morning, I have been inundated with phone calls on the readiness of countries with their military force and contributions. However, I told them to wait. I am meeting with the Ulamas and I will get back to you.”

The Islamic clerics under the umbrella of Ulama’a, yesterday, briefed President Bola Tinubu on their meetings with the military junta and disclosed that the President has sent them back to Niamey to continue their diplomatic efforts to resolve the political crisis in the Sahel country.

The Islamic clerics, comprising different Islamic sects, after the meeting, insisted that they don’t want war or any military action in the country that shared boundaries with Nigeria.

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

But authorities of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS heads of State and government have insisted that the deposed President should be reinstated “ECOWAS, which has President Tinubu as its Chairman had announced many sanctions against the military junta, including military actions if they failed to reinstate the democratically elected government.

At 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.

President Tinubu had 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.