Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Head of State, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd), and Rivers state Governor, Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi, yesterday shunned the National Council of State meeting summoned by President Goodluck Jonathan.
Also absent at the meeting, which took place Council Chambers of State House, were Governors Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso of Kano state who sent his deputy Isiaka Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo state.
The meeting, which commenced at 10.45am and ended at about 4:50pm, was attended former Heads of State, General Yakubu Gowon (rtd), General Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida (rtd), General Abdulsalam Abubakar (rtd) and former Head of National Interim Government, Chief Earnest Shonekan.
President of the Senate, Mr. David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, and Governors Adams Oshiomhole (Edo), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Ramallan Yero (Kaduna), Babatunde Raji Fashola (Lagos) and Martin Elechi (Ebonyi), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), Rochas Okorocha (Imo) and Sullivan Chime (Enugu), amongst others.
Others were Governors Aliyu Magatakarda Wamakko (Sokoto), Ibrahim Hassan Dankwambo (Gombe), Mu’azu Babangida Aliyu (Niger), Sule Lamido (Jigawa), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun), Godswill Akpabio (Akwa Ibom), Olusegun Mimiko (Ondo) and Tanko Almakura (Nasarawa), Gabriel Suswam (Benue), Saidu Nasamu Dakingari (Kebbi), Abdulazeez Yari (Zamfara), Abdulfatah Ahmed (Kwara), acting governor of Taraba state, Garba Umar and the deputy governors if Kano, Bauchi and Plateau states.
Meanwhile, there was a mild drama between Governor Murtala Nyako of Adamawa state and his Abia stare counterpart, Mr. Theodore Orji.
Shortly before the commencement of the meeting, Nyako was sitting next to Orji said: “I am telling you, don’t poison me here. I am not comfortable with you here. If anything happens to me here, my people will take you to court.”
Orji replied: “ For how many years have we been sitting together? Is it this zero hour that I would poison you?”
Nyako also faced Martins Elechi and said: “I am just warning him not to poison me. Is there any law that says we should sit down together?”