Almost fifteen months after assuming office President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday presided over his first National Council of State meeting, with the former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida conspicuously absent. The Council passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu’s administration. Constitutionally, members of the council are the President, Vice President, former Presidents and Heads
Almost fifteen months after assuming office President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday presided over his first National Council of State meeting, with the former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Ibrahim Babangida conspicuously absent. The Council passed a vote of confidence on Tinubu’s administration.
Constitutionally, 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 meeting which held at the Council Chamber of the State House Abuja had in attendance former Presidents Goodluck Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari while former Heads of State, Generals Gowon Yakubu, and Abdulsalami Abubakar joined virtually.
The meeting was briefed by seven Ministers in Tinubu’s administration. Briefing journalists at the end of the meeting, Mr. Dele Alake, Minister of Mineral Resources disclosed that the Council unanimously passed a confidence vote on President Tinubu’s administration. According to him, the Council decided on this vote after receiving briefings from seven cabinet members, including himself on the activities of the administration.
Apart from Mr. Alake, others who briefed the Council were the Minister of Agriculture, Alhaji Muhammed Mahmood Abubakar, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, and Minister of Budget and National Planning, Alhaji Atiku Bagudu.
Others were the Minister of Works, Engr. Dave Umahi, Minister of Trade and Investments, Ms.Doris Uzoka-Anite, and the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu.
Mr. Alake who said that they had hints that their briefings were well received by the Council, equally disclosed that the Council reviewed the immediate past hunger protests and concluded that it was a ploy by some persons to violently overtake civil rule in the country.
His words: “And of course, at the end of it, matters of state were discussed, in a robust manner and frank manner. The National Security Adviser (NSA) also was on hand to present the security situation of the country.
According to him:” the NSA informed the Council of State about the pre-, during, and post-event of the last protests, which I do not call a protest. I call it a movement to effect a change of regime by force, which was also resisted.
“And so, you know, the council thanked Nigerians at large for resisting any unconstitutional move to change government. If anybody is not satisfied with the government, or any current administration, there is always an election coming, so you wait for the election and cast your vote. So, the NSA briefed the Council on the security situations, and allayed fears all around”, he stressed.
Chairman of the Nigerian Government Forum (NGF) and the governor of Kwara state, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak, disclosed that the governors at their closed-door meeting with the President after the Council meeting also expressed satisfaction with Tinubu’s leadership and passed a vote of confidence on him.
He said: “The high note of the meeting was a unanimous passage of a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Commander in Chief of the Nigerian armed forces. Members, especially those of the Nigerian Governor’s Forum, were satisfied with the presentation by the members of the Federal Executive Council, and after that meeting, there was an executive session between members of the Nigerian Governor’s 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”.
The Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, in his briefing, said he updated the Council on the macroeconomic outlook of the country saying: “We looked at the data, or we reported on the evidence and the data of this half year for which data was available, compared to the first quarter and the second quarter of 2023. And in broad terms, the economy is growing. The balance of payments, in particular, the trade balance and the current account balance are in surplus. The exchange rate is stabilizing, and inflation, though high, uncomfortably high for the liking of Mr president and his team, is slowing and is set to fall.
“But in particular, there has been supporting for the economy from investors, foreign investors, by way of portfolio investors, domestic investors, who are participating in important private-public partnerships, particularly infrastructure sector, and foreign direct investment, is beginning to recover, I would say so. On that basis, we reported on the opportunities for the economy once stabilized for investment and growth”.
