Buhari Meets Jonathan In Aso Villa
BY EDMOND ODOK – President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday met with former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Arriving at the Villa around 03:00 pm, Dr Jonathan was received by the President into a closed-door meeting whose agenda and details remained undisclosed.
However, presidency sources hinted that it may not be unconnected with his work as Special Envoy of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) where he currently leads mediation talks on Mali which remains under military rule following the August 2020 coup that ousted President Ibrahim Keita.
On Monday, December 27, Mali’s military-dominated government launched a four-day national forum on returning the country to civilian rule, which according to Mali’s transitional president, Colonel Assimi Goita, “will make an unflinching assessment of the state of the nation and draw the best lessons from it”.
As part of the West African Elders Forum (WAEF), Jonathan was also in The Gambia three weeks ago to address election-related crises, as Gambians voted in the country’s December 4, 2021, presidential election.
“The former President is a regular visitor to the Aso Villa where he delivers briefs to President Buhari on his activities as ECOWAS Special Envoy”, a presidency source said.
But another source hinted that it may also not be out of place that both leaders discussed issues of national interest, especially insecurity and the 2023 general elections with speculations making the rounds about mounting pressure on Jonathan to join the presidential race.