President Bola Tinubu has asked the delegation of Nigerian Muslim leaders, (Ulamas), to return to the Niger Republic for more dialogue with the military junta.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu gave the directive on Thursday after meeting the Ulamas who briefed him on the outcome of their last diplomatic talks made on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
The leader of the Niger junta, Abdourahmane Tiani after the meeting in Niger said they were ready to explore diplomatic dialogue.
The return of the Islamic leaders to Niger comes as ECOWAS defence chiefs said the bloc still favours diplomacy even though a day for military intervention had been fixed, as a last resort.
Former head of state, Abdulsalami Abubakar had also assured that diplomatic interventions to restore constitutional order in Niger will succeed.
Abubakar, after leading an ECOWAS delegation to the unstable West African country, said discussions with Niger’s military junta had been very fruitful, expressing hope that positive actions will soon come out of it.
The United Kingdom’s Minister of State for the Armed forces, James Heappey, said the UK recognised Nigeria’s diplomatic mediation efforts to peacefully restore democracy in its northern neighbour.
Heappey added that the UK would continue to support Nigeria and ECOWAS in their efforts to ensure that constitutional order returns to the Niger Republic.
Meanwhile, the Niger junta had announced that the country would hand over power in three years but ECOWAS rejected the plan, noting that it would no longer tolerate prolonged transition periods in the sub-region.
