General Ibrahim Babangida, a former Military Head of State, Goodluck Jonathan, Alhaji Shehu Shagari and Chief Ernest Shonekan, ex-Presidents were conspicuously absent at Thursday’s Council of States meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
At the time the meeting started few minutes after 11 a.m. before journalists left the venue only Chief Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, three former Heads of State along side President Muhammadu Buhari were at the venue.
The meeting, which is the third under the democratic administration of President Buhari, was also attended for the first time by Ayodele Fayose, Ekiti State governor.
The Council of States meeting is always attended by former Presidents or heads of State serving and former Chief Justices of Nigeria, CJN, serving Senate President and Speaker, House of Representatives as well as State governors.
Aside President Buhari and the three other past presidents, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo the Vice President, Bukola Saraki, Senate President, and four former Chief Justices of Nigeria were also at the meeting.
The past four CJN present are Idris Kutigi, Alfa Balgore, Mariam Aluooma, and Muhammed Uwais, while Walter Onnoghen, the serving CJN was absent, though unconfirmed report has it that serving CJN is not a member of the Council of States.
Also absent as at the commencement of the meeting was the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara.
Others also present at the meeting included state governors of Adamawa, Benue, Kebbi, Jigawa, Delta, Lagos, Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Imo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Plateau, Ogun, Rivers, Zamfara, Ebonyi, Kaduna.
The meeting started when President Buhari arrived in the Council Chamber venue of the meeting and went round the Council chamber to shake hand with those present.
The first meeting under Buhari was held on October 21, 2015, while the second was held in September 2016.
The National Council of State is chaired by President Buhari, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as Deputy Chairman.
The opening prayers were said by Gowon and Uwaise.
The meeting focused on issues of insecurity in the country as well as the forthcoming general elections in 2019.
Officials from Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, were also present at the meeting.
Obasanjo, who was five minutes late, rushed in when as a minute silence was being observed in honour of the late former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Dahiru Mustapha.
The deputy governors of Bayelsa and Enugu are also in attendance.
The Council of State is an organ of the Federal Government saddled with the responsibility of advising the executive on policy making.
Its duties include advising the president in the exercise of his powers with respect to the National population census and compilation, publication and keeping of records and other information concerning the same; prerogative of mercy; award of national honours; the Independent National Electoral Commission (including the appointment of members of that Commission); the National Judicial Council (including the appointment of the members, other than ex-officio members of that Council); the National Population Commission (including the appointment of members of that Commission).
The council also advises the president whenever requested to do so on the maintenance of public order and on such other matters as the he may direct.
