President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday met behind closed doors with some ex- leaders of the National Assembly. Two separate meetings were said to have been held at the President’s office at the Presidential Villa, Abuja. Those spotted at the Villa included former Senate Presidents, David Mark and Ken Nnamani, former Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Bello Masari and the Senior Special Assistant to the President on National Assembly Matters (Senate), Ita Enang.
While Nnamani and Masari arrived the same time, Mark, who is still a current Senator approached the President’s office together with Enang about one hour later. But it was not clear whether Mark and Enang actually met Nnamani and Masari at the President’s office as Nnamani and Masari were said to have been taken out from the President’s office’s entrance in a vehicle. Nnamani and Masari, who had earlier trekked by the Council Chamber in the clear view of journalists when going to the President’s office, have not been spotted to go out through the same way they came in at the time of filing this report.
The agenda of the meetings was unknown but may not be unconnected with the soured relationship between the Presidency and the current Senate. Mark, who came out after about thirty minutes in the President’s office, did not speak to journalists as he walked through the corridor with one protocol officer. His visit to the Villa was the first since he stepped down as the Senate President in the last dispensation.
No official statement, at the time of this report, has been issued concerning the meetings. The current Senate President, Bukola Saraki, who is facing Senate Standing rules forgery trial along with is deputy, Ike Ekweremadu, had recently declared that there was cabal in the Presidency.