By Ishola Kayode
In the effort to stave off war, a former Governor of Nigeria’s Central Bank, Lamido Sanusi, has gone to Niger to meet with the junta leaders.
As the deadline given to the coup plotters by the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, elapsed and battle drums begin to beat, frantic efforts are been made by elites in northern Nigeria as well as president Bola Tinubu‘s allies to prevent the situation from escalating.
In a recent picture, Mr Sanusi who was a former Emir of Kano, could be seen standing beside the leader of the junta, General Abdourahamane Tchiani during his visit to Niger.
Mr. Tchiani had cut off diplomatic relations with the United States, France and Nigeria and refused to meet with a joint delegation of the UN, AU and ECOWAS.
He also refused audience to an ECOWAS delegation led by former military leader Abdulsalami Abubakar and declined meeting with the US Acting Deputy Secretary of State, Victoria Nuland.
It is not clear in what capacity Mr Sanusi visited Niger but the fact that the junta leaders agreed to a meeting with him shows how influential the former CBN governor is and gives hope that the impasse can yet be resolved through dialogue.
Mr Sanusi is not only a close ally of Nigeria’s President Bola Tinubu who is also the ECOWAS leader, he is also the spiritual leader (Khalifah) of the Tijaniyah Islamic movement in Nigeria, a movement with millions of members across West Africa, including Niger.
The former emir was accompanied on the visit, by the Emir of Damagaram in Zinder, in the Maradi region of Niger.
This meeting is especially special because since the regional body ECOWAS imposed sanctions on Niger following last month’s coup, Mr Tchiani has refused to meet most of the official delegations sent to the country.
ECOWAS leaders will meet Thursday to review the situation in Niger following the expiration of the one week ultimatum given to the coup leaders to relinquish power back to President Mohamed Bazoum.
