President Muhammadu Buhari will on Sunday depart Abuja for Accra, Ghana to attend an emergency Extraordinary Summit of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
Naija News reports that the emergency summit is being convened to discuss the recent political developments in Mali.
In a statement released to newsmen on Saturday Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, said the president is expected back in the country “at the end of the one-day Summit.”
Adesina added that the meeting is at the instance of the Chairman of the Authority of Heads of State and Government of ECOWAS and President of Ghana, Nana Akufo-Addo.
“As the situation in Mali continues to evolve, Nigeria had condemned the May 24 military coup, the subsequent detention of the president and prime minister by soldiers, and called for the immediate and unconditional release of all civilian officials detained,” the statement added.
“President Buhari will be accompanied by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Defence, Maj. Gen. Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd), Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Otunba Richard Adebayo, and Director-General of National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.”
Prior to the Extraordinary Summit, Buhari had met with the Special Envoy and ECOWAS mediator in Mali, former President Goodluck Jonathan, who briefed him on the latest developments in the country following his meeting with key political actors in the West African country.
Recall that Mali’s Interim President, Bah Ndaw and Prime Minister, Moctar Ouane were detained on Monday by army officers who were disgruntled by a government reshuffle.
The two were held at the Kati military camp around 15 kilometres (nine miles) from Bamako.
The interim president and the prime minister were installed in September under the threat of regional sanctions, with the declared aim of restoring full civilian rule within 18 months
On Wednesday, the interim leaders resigned in the presence of mediators visiting the military base.
The article was originally published on Nigeria News