Obasanjo Shuns Council Of State Meeting, Buhari Leads APC Govs

A meeting of the Council of State where a major decision on the
forthcoming general elections is expected to be taken is currently
ongoing inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), is one of the nation's former leaders
attending the meeting which started at about 11:30am.

Others in attendance are former President Shehu Shagari, Gen. Yakubu
Gowon (retd.), Gen. Ibrahim Babangida (retd.), Gen. Abdusalami
Abubakar and Chief Ernest Shonekan.

Former President Olusegun Obasanjo is the only living Nigerian leader
absent at the meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof.
Attahiru Jega, and all service chiefs are waiting to brief the
meeting.

Also in attendance are Vice President Namadi Sambo; President of the
Senate, David Mark; Speaker, House of Representatives, Aminu
Tambuwal; Attorney-General of the Federation, Mohammed Bello Adoke
(SAN); Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyin Pius
Anyim; National Security Adviser Sambo Dasuki.

Governors in attendance include Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Rabiu
Kwankwaso (Kano), Babatunde Fashola (Lagos), Rochas Okorocha (Imo),
Aliyu Wamako (Sokoto), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Abdulfatahi Ahmed
(Kwara), Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Rauf
Aregbesola (Osun), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara) and the deputy governors
of Borno and Yobe States.

People's Democratic Party governors at the meeting include those of
Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Kaduna, Cross River, Niger, Kogi, Bayelsa, Adamawa,
Ondo, Taraba, Delta, Enugu, Ekiti, Plateau, Jigawa, Katsina, Gombe and
Bauchi States as well as the Minister of the FCT, Bala Mohammed.
--PUNCH