Buhari, Jonathan in, OBJ absent as Tinubu holds first council of State meeting

FILE PICTURE: President Muhammadu Buhari and ex President Goodluck Jonathan

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is currently presiding over the Council of State meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Among those present are former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari and Goodluck Jonathan.

Former presidents Yakubu Gowon and Abdulsalami Abubakar also joined the meeting virtually.

The meeting of the National Council of State is always held to advise the President on policy decisions and other matters that the sitting president might put before them.

Members of the council are the President, Vice President, former Presidents and Heads of State, the Senate President, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, state governors, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the Attorney-General of the Federation.

The ongoing meeting, the first to be put together by the present administration, comes days after some Nigerians took to the street to protest against the prevailing hardship and economic polices of the present administration.

Some of the protesters asked the Federal Government to reverse removal of fuel subsidy.

Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo who said the demands of the protesters are legitimate did not attend the meeting.

However, News Direct gathered that the ministers at the ongoing meeting were specially invited by President Bola Tinubu to address the Council on the policies and direction of the present administration to allow the members have a first-hand knowledge, before advising the president on the way forward.