Photos of Alhaji Muhammadu Sanusi, former Central Bank of Nigeria governor with Abdourahmane Tchiani, the leader of the Niger junta have emerged online.
According to Daily Trust, Sanusi, the 14th Emir of Kano and Kalifa of the Tijanniya Islamic sect in Nigeria met Tichani in company with the Emir of Damagaran, Wednesday.
Read also: Muslim Ulemas meet Tinubu over Niger junta
The meeting is coming after the military leadership of the junta aborted a meeting with representatives of African Union (AU), Economic Community of West Africa States (ECOWAS) and a top US diplomat, including Nigeria’s former president Abdulsalam Abubakar and the Sultan of Sokoto.
Sanusi was appointed Kalifa of the Tijanniya sect in March 2021. The Emir of Damagaran was among those who attended Sanusi’s turbaning then.
The former CBN governor, along with other Nigerians of northern background including Aliko Dangote, chairman and founder of Dangote group are known to frequently visit Niger Republic with family and economic ties to the country.
Analysts believe Sanusi is just one of the soft powers that Nigeria and ECOWAS could use to prevent a war between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
“I’ve read expert and novice takes on the Nigerien crisis highlighting factors from France to US, Russia, China, Sahel instability. This here suggests that Nigeria is deploying an understated tool in its soft power box: primordial ties with its neighbours,” Deji Olatoye, a Lagos based lawyer said.
Earlier on Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu met with an association of Muslim Ulemas over the Niger political crises.
Ulema is a body of Muslim scholars who are recognised as having specialist knowledge of Islamic sacred law and theology.
Read also: Niger Republic Coup: ECOWAS defence chiefs meet In Nigeria
Although details of the meeting and its agenda was not immediately available, as at the time of this report, inside sources say the meeting is not unconnected with the ongoing efforts by the President to explain the ECOWAS mandate, as well as reduce tension in the northern part of Nigeria, over the proposed ECOWAS military action.
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