The National Council of State (NCS) and Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF), at separate meetings yesterday, passed a vote of confidence on the 14-month-old administration of President Bola Tinubu. NCS, comprising past presidents, some ministers and governors, among others, held their maiden meeting, with President Tinubu presiding at Council Chambers of State House, Abuja, and NGF, after that, met with the President at the same venue.
The Council of State meeting was attended by former presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan, with former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar, attending virtually. Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo and erstwhile military President Ibrahim Babangida were absent.
Briefing newsmen after the meetings, the Chairman of NGF and Governor of Kwara State, Alhaji Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, stated, “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 Nigeria Governors’ Forum, were satisfied with the presentation by the members of FEC, and after that meeting, there was an executive session between members of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum and Mr President, and 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 Mr President. We also wished him well and prayed for God’s guidance for him.”
Also briefing newsmen on the outcome of the council of state meeting, Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said the well-attended meeting was an eloquent testimony to the kind of support President Tinubu enjoyed. Alake explained that many issues were discussed at the meeting, with seven members of FEC making presentations before the council members.
He said some ministers were invited to presentations at the council of state meeting “on our roadmap on what we’ve been able to achieve, the prospects and the challenges in our various ministries”. Besides, himself, Alake said others who made presentations included Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun; Minister of Budget and National Planning, Abubakar Bagudu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Doris Uzoka-Anite; Minister of Works, David Umahi; and Minister of Agriculture and Food Security, Abubakar Kyari. Alake said, “These seven of us ministers made individual presentations at the council of state meeting, and our presentations were well-received, based on the feedback we got immediately after individual presentations.”
He revealed that other matters of state, including the security situation in the country, were extensively discussed. The minister also said the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, assured that the country was well secured, despite the recent protests across the country. He said NCS appreciated Nigerians for resisting any attempt to unconstitutionally effect a change of government in the country.
According to Alake, “Matters of state were discussed in a robust manner and frank manner. And the NSA also was on hand to present the security situation of the country. After the NSA’s briefing, generally, he allayed everybody’s fears and spoke on the tightness of the security around the country, and reassured all and sundry that nobody will be allowed to truncate our hard-earned democracy.” On his part, Edun told newsmen that he had a robust engagement with the council of state members.
He stated, “We did have the opportunity and the privilege to present to the council of state, and, in particular, the former presidents, who turned out in large numbers to participate, and we had the opportunity to, in my case, update them on the economy.”
