President Bola Tinubu has summoned the Council of State for its first meeting under his administration, scheduled for Tuesday at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.
This marks the first Council of State meeting in 18 months, with the last one held on February 10, 2023, under former President Muhammadu Buhari. The last meeting focused on the 2023 elections, the naira redesign and scarcity crisis, among others.
Today’s meeting comes on the heels of the recent nationwide protests against economic hardship.
Former presidents and heads of state are expected to attend, including Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, Yakubu Gowon, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The previous meeting was physically attended by Abdulsalami, Jonathan, and Gowon.
President Tinubu will present about seven issues for discussion at today’s meeting, according to sources who spoke Punch.
These include the recent nationwide #EndBadGovernance protests and their impact on national security, the current state of the economy, food security, budgeting and planning, among others.
The nationwide protests, which began on August 1, led to violence in some states, waving of Russian flags and calls for military takeover.
In response, the Nigerian Armed Forces rejected the calls and vowed to defend the country’s democracy and its sovereignty during a briefing on national security.
The Russian government had also disowned the protesters waving its flag.