Members of the National Peace Committee for the 2015 General Elections led by former Head of State, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar (retd.), are currently meeting behind closed-doors with President Muhammadu Buhari inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The meeting is coming five days after immediate-past President Goodluck Jonathan paid a secret visit to Buhari inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Those who are attending the meeting alongside Abubabakar and Buhari include the Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’Ad Abubakar III; the President of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pastor Ayo Oritsejafor; Primate of the Church of Nigeria, Anglican Communion, Most Revd. Nicholas Okoh; Catholic Archbishop of Abuja, Cardinal John Onaiyekan; a former President of the Nigerian Bar Association, Mrs. Priscilla Kuye; and Senator Ben Obi among others.
Recall that Buhari and Jonathan signed a peace agreement ahead of the March 28 presidential election at the instance of the committee.
However, details of the meeting is yet to be known at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, on Monday, in continuation of its peace move in the country, Gen. Abdusalami Abubakar-led National peace Committee met with Senate President Bukola Saraki.
According to a source, members of the Committee who met with Saraki, principal officers of the Senate and some Senators were said to have stressed the need for sustainable democracy through a peaceful environment, even as the members were also said to have called on the lawmakers to work in synergy with the Executive arm of government.
The Committee members were also said to have emphasised on good working relationship between the senators and their respective parties.
The group led by its chairman, General Abdusalami Abubakar, arrived the office of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, at about 5 pm for a closed door meeting and ended at past 7pm.
Among the delegation were Cardinal John Onaiyekan; Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Sa’ad Abubakar, Chairman, Vanguard Media Limited, Sam Amuka, Alhaji Aliko Dangote of the Dangote Group, Commodore Ebitu Okiwe, Primate of the Anglican Church (Nigerian Communion), Nicholas Okoh; Catholic Archbishop of Sokoto, Mathew Hassan Kukah, President, Christians Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ayo Oritsejafor as well as Senator Ben Obi, among others.
The meeting was held behind closed doors, even as it was gathered that the team was billed to visit the leadership of the House of Representatives at the end of their interactions with the Senate leadership.
Although it was not yet certain what their mission was, it might not be unconnected with the leadership crises that engulfed the 8th National Assembly following the election of principal officers. As a result of the unresolved crises, the Chief Whip of the Senate is yet to be announced by the Senate President.
Before the visit to the Senate, the team had earlier met with the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
A source told Vanguard that at the meeting, the PDP told the team that there was the need to caution the Director- General, Department of State Security Services, Alhaji Lawal Daura, following allegations that he was becoming partisan in his activities especially in states like Akwa Ibom, Rivers and Abia.
According to a source, the PDP which was led by the Acting National Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus was said to have told the Committee that the present anti- corruption crusade was selective, that of witch- hunt, targeted at members of the PDP without beaming its searchlight on the former governors who were of the PDP and now in the All Progressives Congress, APC.
According to a source, the PDP told the Committee that in Buhari’s fight against corruption, there must no sacred cows, adding, “we told the committee that he should not see some persons as above the law as some APC members like Bola Tinubu and Rotimi Amaechi are seen as above the law.”
The source disclosed that at the meeting, the PDP was said to have reiterated that the tenure of the Acting Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Mrs Amina Bala Zakari has expired. Vanguard
