Obasanjo, Buhari In Friendly Mood At Council Of State Meeting

A meeting of the Council of State has opened at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, who, only on Sunday, heavily criticised the Buhari administration’s policies and alleged plans to rig the February polls, is attending the closed-door meeting.

It was Obasanjo who said the Christian prayers before the meeting went into closed-doors. A former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Mohammed Uwais, said the Muslim prayers.

Aside from Obasanjo, other former leaders at the meeting were former Head of Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan; former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd.) and former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Gen. Ibrahim Babangida and Gen. Yakubu Gowon were absent as of 11am.

The Council of State comprises the President, Vice-President, Senate President, Speaker of the House of Representatives, former presidents and heads of State, Chief Justices of Nigeria, State Governors, among others.

Among the governors who had arrived were those of Osun, Kebbi, Zamfara, Plateau, Ebonyi, Adamawa, Edo, Lagos, Niger, Borno, Ogun, Ekiti and Kogi states.

The key issues on the agenda are said to be the National Minimum Wage and the February general elections.

PUNCH