Reports: Buhari Absent as Osinbajo Chairs FEC Meeting

It was a moment of surprise for ministers as President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting today, Wednesday, April 12, 2017. This is the first time the president would be absent from the FEC meeting since March 10 when he returned from London where he spent weeks on medical vacation.

In his absence, the vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo took charge calling on the minister of Defense, Dan Ali Mansur, to say the Muslim opening prayer, while the Christian prayer was said by the minister of Trade and Investment, Okechukwu Enelamah. Multiple reports confirmed the president’s absence from the meeting and that the reason was yet to be revealed as there was no official statement.

There had been signs that Buhari would have presided over the meeting as a security operative in plain clothe stood behind the president’s seat to secure it as usual. Vanguard reports that by 11.00 am when the meeting was scheduled to start, Osinbajo’s voice resonated from the background as he called for the National Anthem.

The report said the development abruptly alerted most Ministers who were hitherto exchanging pleasantries with each other to settle down for the day’s business.