Jonathan, Shonekan, Abudulsami attend Council of States meeting

Former Chairman, Interim National Government, Chief Ernest Shonekan closely followed by Former President Goodluck Jonathan and Former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar on their arrival for the National Council of States chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Aso Chambers, State House, Abuja


ABUJA-Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday made a surprise appearance at the second meeting of the Council of States presided by president Muhammadu Buhari.
This is the first time he would be attending the meeting since exiting office on May 29,2015.

Jonathan lost the 2015 presidential election that brought Buhari to power and was not present in the first Council of States meeting that held October 21 last year. Speculations were rife then that the former president was still battling with the concomitant effects of the election he lost and could have graced the meeting presided over by his erstwhile opponent whom he had defeated in the 2011 presidential elections. Similarly, former Head of State, Gen. Abusalami Abubukar and former Head of Interim National Government, ING, Chief Ernest Shenekon were also joined at the Wednesday meeting. However, former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Shehu Shagari, former Heads of State, General Ibrahim Babangida and Yakubu Gowon were conspicuously absent at the meeting. Also, the senate President, Bukola Saraki and Speaker, House of Representatives, Mr. Yakubu Dogara were not in the meeting. However, a handful of the serving governors were present as well as former Chief Justices of Nigeria, CJNs. Among the state governors at the meeting included Rivers, Borno, Niger, Imo, Cross River, Taraba, Yobe, Benue, Bauchi, Enugu, Kwara, Adamawa. Others are Abia, Sokoto, Kaduna, Lagos, Kogi, Plateau, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina. Former CJN at the meeting included Lawal Uwais, Mariam Muktar, Idris Kutigi, Alfa Belgore. Council of States is a body of former country’s leaders that performs advisory roles to the president. Its membership included the serving and former Presidents of Nigeria, former and serving CJN, serving Senate president and House Speaker and serving governors. It is expected that meeting would confirm the appointment of Mr. Idris Ibrahim as the Inspector General of Police, IGP who was appointed by president Muhammadu Buhari on acting capacity some months ago