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.”