In the heat generated by the criticisms by two former Nigerian leaders against President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, another former Head of State, Retired Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, on Tuesday visited Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
President Buhari on Tuesday met behind closed door with Abubakar, who emerged from the meeting and kept mute on the reasons and outcome of the meeting.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the meeting took place immediately after Buhari received letters of Credence from the Ambassador of Niger to Nigeria, Mr Alat Mogaskia; the High Commissioner of Ghana, Alhaji Rashid Bawa and that of Apostolic Nuncio of the Holy Sea to Nigeria, Most Rev. Archbishop Antonio Guido Filipazzi.
The former Head of State declined to speak to State House correspondents after the meeting, which lasted for less than one hour.
NAN reports that barely hour and half hours after his meeting with Abdulsalami, the President also met behind closed doors with two chieftains of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu and Chief Bisi Akande.
NAN reliably gathered that two APC chieftains were in the Villa to console the President, who lost two members of his extended family in Daura recently.
NAN observed that Tinubu is visiting the Presidential Villa for the first time since his appointment by President Buhari as APC “Chief Mediator”
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo had in a public letter criticised the administration and advised Buhari against seeking a second term.
Obasanjo described Buhari as clannish and lacking knowledge in economy.
A week after Obasanjo’s tirade, retired General Ibrahim Babaginda, through his aide, Mr Kassim Afegbua, castigated Buhari for his inaction in the face of security challenges.