getting error TypeError: expected str, bytes or os.PathLike object, not _io.TextIOWrapper

Question

I am trying to use the python netmiko library to automate configuration of cisco devices using files, however I am getting the below error while testing. From googling I am guessing it may be something to do with the open function I have used for the configuration file.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "config-auto.py", line 55, in <module>
    device_list()
  File "config-auto.py", line 50, in device_list
    output =  net_connect.send_config_from_file(inputfile)
  File "/home/mmwanza/flask-project/venv/lib/python3.6/site-packages/netmiko/base_connection.py", line 2022, in send_config_from_file
    with io.open(config_file, "rt", encoding="utf-8") as cfg_file:
TypeError: expected str, bytes or os.PathLike object, not _io.TextIOWrapper


from netmiko import ConnectHandler
import getpass

 
#prompt user for username
username = input('Enter username: ')

##username method to return the username
def credentials_username():
    cred = username
    return cred


#prompt user for password
p = getpass.getpass('Enter password: ')

##password method to return the password
def credentials_password():
    password = p
    return password

#Prompt to enter device file
devices_file = input('Enter devices inventory file name: ')

with open(devices_file) as hosts:
    addresses = hosts.readlines()

#Prompt to enter configuration file
configsfile = input('Enter configuration file: ')
inputfile = open(configsfile, "r")



##devices dictionary
def device_list():
    ios_device_info = dict()
    for device in addresses:
        ios_device_info['ip'] = device
        ios_device_info['device_type'] = "cisco_ios"
        ios_device_info['username'] = credentials_username()
        ios_device_info['password'] = credentials_password()
        net_connect = ConnectHandler(**ios_device_info)
        output =  net_connect.send_config_from_file(inputfile)

device_list()