Naira Swap/Polls: Gowon, Abdulsalam, Jonathan Present As Buhari Chairs Council Of State Meeting

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over the Council of State meeting, to discuss national crises including petrol and Naira scarcity, insecurity and others, ahead of the upcoming 2023 general elections.

The hybrid meeting, which started at 10:12am with the rendition of the national anthem, is taking place at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

Former Heads of State and President in attendance included Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd), Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd) and Goodluck Jonathan respectively.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo joined the meeting virtually. Others who joined online were Sokoto State governor and chairman of Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF), Aminu Waziri Tambuwal; Kebbi State governor and chairman of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Abubakar Atiku Bagudu; Plateau State governor and chairman of Northern State Governors Forum, Simon Lalong; Ebonyi State governor, David Umahi; Kogi governor, Yahaya Bello; Osun State governor, Ademola Adeleke; Jigawa State governor, Abubakar Badaru, and Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun.

Others were Benue State deputy governor, Benson Abounu; Deputy governor of Nasarawa State, Emmanuel Akabe, and Enugu State deputy governor.

Two former Chief Justices of the Nigeria, Alfa Belgore and Mahmud Muhammad, were also in attendance.

Those physically attending the meting included 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; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, and Head of Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan

Governors physically attending were Taraba, Dairu Isiaku; Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai; Borno, Babagana Zulum; Gombe, Inuawa Yahaya; Lagos, Babajide Sanwo-Olu; Kwara, Abdulrahman Abdulrazak, and Deputy governor of Bauchi, Baba Tela.

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.

Also present and awaiting their turns to brief the council were 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.