President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday, May 12, presided over the last Council of State meeting of his administration at the presidential villa, Abuja. Past Nigerian leaders in attendance at the meeting included president elect Gen Muhammadu Buhari, Gen. Yakubu Gowon, Alhaji Shehu Shagari, Gen Ibrahim Babangida, Gen Abdulsalami Abubakar and Chief Ernest Shonekan.
President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari was reportedly the first to arrive while Olusegun Obasanjo was the last to make an appearance at about 12.10pm, about 40 minutes behind schedule.
The meeting started at the Council Chambers at 11.30am after the arrival of President Goodluck Jonathan.
State governors at the meeting were – Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo), Aliyu Wamakko (Sokoto), Rotimi Amaechi (Rivers), Ramalan Yero (Kaduna), Sarieke Dickson (Bayelsa), James Ngilari (Adamawa), Tanko Almakura(Nasarawa) and Gabriel Suswam(Benue).
Others include – Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Jonah Jang (Plateau) Liyel Imoke(Cross River), and Acting governor of Taraba State.
Kano, Kogi, Oyo and Yobe States were represented by their deputy governors.
The Senate President, David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, and former Chief Justices of Nigeria including Muhammadu Uwais, Alfa Belgore and Idris Kutigi were also present at the meeting.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Anyim Pius Anyim, National Security Adviser (NSA), Sambo Dasuki and the Chief of Staff to the President, Jones Arogbofa also attended the meeting.
Opening Christian and Muslim prayers were made by the Governors of Cross Rivers and Kaduna respectively.
