The Council of State convened yesterday and characterized a recent demonstration against governance shortcomings as an attempt to effect regime change.
The council, comprised of former Presidents and Heads of
State, the President of the Senate and Speaker of the House of Representatives,
the serving and retired Chief Justice of Nigeria, CJN, as well as state
governors, subsequently expressed their unwavering support for President Bola
Tinubu’s administration.
Former leaders who endorsed President Tinubu included
Generals Yakubu Gowon, Muhammadu Buhari, and Abdulsalami Abubakar, as well as
former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Notably, former Presidents Buhari and Jonathan physically
attended the meeting, while Generals Gowon and Abubakar participated virtually.
However, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo and General Ibrahim
Badamasi Babangida, IBB, were notably absent, and no explanation was provided
for their absence.
Following the meeting, which marked the first under
President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the Minister of Solid Mineral
Development, Dr. Dele Alake, addressed State House correspondents. He conveyed
the council's commendation of President Tinubu for his steadfast resistance
against any attempts to forcibly seize control of the government.
The National Security Advisor, NSA Mallam Nuhu Ribadu,
provided the council with an update on the security situation in the country,
particularly concerning issues that arose before, during, and after the
nationwide protests.
It was clarified that the #EndBadGovernance protest was not
merely a protest but a movement. The Council of State emphasized the importance
of preserving the nation’s hard-earned democracy and stressed that any change
should be pursued through the ballot box, not through insurrection.
Furthermore, seven ministers presented their reports to the
council, detailing the progress achieved in economic diversification and
overall economic development.
Alake said: “As you all are aware, the Council of State just
concluded its meeting with all the former heads of state in attendance,
physically or virtually.
“The last count, I think most of them were physically
attending. The former heads of state, General Buhari and President Goodluck
Jonathan were there physically, and the rest were there virtually, via Zoom.
“So in essence, in principle, all of them were in
attendance. And that’s a very eloquent testimony to the kind of support they
are giving to our current president, Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
“A lot of issues were exhaustively discussed at the meeting.
And, of course, you know that apart from the former heads of state, the
constitutional composition of the council of state includes all governors,
security adviser, Attorney General and the rest. So the governors were all in
attendance as well.
“Seven of us ministers made individual presentations to the
council of state meeting, and our presentations were well received from the
feedback we got immediately after individual presentations.
“Of course, at the end of it, matters of state of the nation
were discussed, in a robust and frank manner. And the National Security Adviser
also was on hand to present the security situation of the country.
“He did inform the Council of State about the pre-, during
and post-event of the last protests, which I do not call a protest, I call it a
movement to effect a change of regime by force, which was also resisted.
“The council thanked Nigerians at large for resisting any
unconstitutional move to change the government, that if anybody is not
satisfied with the government, any current administration, there is always an
election coming, so you wait for the election and cast your vote.
“So the NSA briefed the council on the security situations
and allayed fears all around.
After the NSA’s briefing, generally, he allayed everybody’s
fears and spoke on the tightness of the security around the country, and also
reassured all and sundry that nobody will be allowed to truncate our
hard-earned democracy.
“Any change of government has to be through the ballots and
not through the barrel of the gun or insurrection or any other unconstitutional
means, only through the ballot box can any government be changed.
“He reassured on the readiness of all security agencies in
the country, to secure our territorial integrity and protect Nigeria’s
democracy.”
With regard to the vote of confidence passed on Tinubu’s
administration, the governor of Kwara State and Chairman of the Nigeria
Governors’ Forum, NGF, Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, stated that the council
unanimously passed a vote of confidence in Tinubu’s governance of the country.
He said: “We, indeed, had a very robust meeting. The high
note of the meeting was a unanimous passage of a vote of confidence on
President Bola Tinubu, Commander-in-Chief of the Nigerian armed forces.
“Members, especially those of the Nigerian Governors Forum,
were satisfied with the presentations by members of the Federal Executive
Council, and after that meeting, there was an executive session between members
of the Nigerian Governors Forum and the President.
“Frank and fruitful discussions were held between both
parties, and I’m glad to say we’re on the right track. And to say in the same
vein, members of the NGF also, like the members of the Council of State, passed
a vote of confidence on the President.”