Buhari presides over Council of State meeting in Aso Rock
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the Council of State meeting to find a lasting solution to the cash crunch occasioned by the cash swap policy of the Central Bank of Nigeria.
The meeting will mainly discuss some issues affecting the country, including petrol and naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the general elections.
The hybrid meeting, which started at 10:12 am with the rendition of the national anthem, is taking place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Former heads of state and presidents in attendance are Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar and Goodluck Jonathan.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined online. Others who joined online are Sokoto governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Aminu Tambuwal; Kebbi State Governor and Chairman of Progressive Governors Forum, Abubakar Bagudu; Plateau governor and chairman of Northern Governors Forum, Simon Lalong; Ebonyi, David Umahi; Kogi, Yahaya Bello;
Osun, Ademola Adeleke; Jigawa, Abubakar Badaru; and Ogun, Dapo Abiodun.
Others are Benue State Deputy Governor Benson Abounu, Deputy Governor of Nasarawa, Emmanuel Akabe; and Enugu Deputy Governor.
Two former Chief Justice of the Federation, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad, were also in attendance.
Those physically attending the meeting are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, President of the Senate, Ahmed Lawan; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha; and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan.
Governors physically attending are Taraba, Darius Ishaku; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Gombe, Inuawa Yahaya; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak; and Deputy Governor Bauchi, Baba Talla.
Also present and awaiting their turn to brief the council are, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mahmood Yakubu; Inspector General of Police, IGP, Alkali Baba; Commandant-General, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, Hammed Audi; and Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Godwin Emefiele on the preparation for the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections as well as March 11 governorship and state houses of assembly polls and new Naira notes respectively.
The National Council of State is an organ of the Nigerian government whose functions include advising the executive on policy making.
Membership of the Council comprises the President, Vice President, Secretary to the Government of the Federation, former presidents, former heads of state, former chief justices of Nigeria, President of the Senate, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Governors of the 36 states of the federation and the Attorney General of the Federation.
