Obasanjo, Abdusalami, Ooni, Sultan, Others To Meet Over Insecurity

The meeting was fixed for Thursday, May 27, however, no reason was given for its postponement.

The meeting is now expected to hold on June 10, 2021, at the Transcorp Hilton, Abuja.

Recall that the Presidency had condemned the plan by Afe Babalola (SAN), to hold a conference on security and other issues in the country.

The Presidency in a statement released through the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, on May 4 accused those behind the conference of planning to pass a vote of no confidence in the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd).

Adesina’s statement read in part, “Championed by some disgruntled religious and past political leaders, the intention is to eventually throw the country into a tailspin, which would compel a forceful and undemocratic change of leadership.

“Further unimpeachable evidence shows that these disruptive elements are now recruiting the leadership of some ethnic groups and politicians round the country, with the intention of convening some sort of conference, where a vote of no confidence would be passed in the President, thus throwing the land into further turmoil.”

Those expected to attend the Obasanjo meeting include the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Muhammad Abubakar; the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi; a former Head of State, Abdulsalami Abubakar; and a former President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, John Cardinal Onaiyekan.

A letter signed by Obasanjo read in part, “I am pleased to invite you on behalf of the Interfaith Initiatives for Peace jointly led by the Sultan of Sokoto, Muhammad Abubakar; John Cardinal Onaiyekan, National Peace Committee chaired by General Abdulsalami Abubakar and Socio-Cultural Consultative Committee for Goodness of Nigeria to an exploratory meeting on pressing issues of national unity, security, peace, integration, economic revitalisation and development, women and youth, welfare and general progress.”

Other groups expected to attend include the Yoruba socio-cultural group, Afenifere; Igbo group, Ohanaeze; Pan Niger Delta Forum; and the Middle Belt Forum.