Buhari, Jonathan in closed-door meeting

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, confirmed this to State House journalists on Sunday.

The presidential spokesman did not disclose the details of what transpired at the meeting which, sources said, took place inside President Buhari’s official residence.

This was the first time former President Jonathan would be visiting the Aso Rock Presidential Villa after he left office on May 29.

President Buhari had recently vowed to recover all the billions of funds stolen by government officials in the recent past.

A Presidency source told our correspondent on phone yesterday that Jonathan arrived the State House at about 9.40pm and did not leave until "very late in the night"

Asked what Buhari and Jonathan discussed at the meeting, the source said: "You must expect them to have discussed national issues. All I can confirm to you is that the information you have that Goodluck Jonathan and Mr President met late Thursday evening is true"

Jonathan’s visit to the Aso Rock Presidential Villa was barely 24 hours before that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as equally confirmed Buhari’s spokesman.

Former President Obasanjo and Buhari had also held a closed-door meeting at the same venue late Friday night.

Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said Jonathan and Obasanjo separately requested to visit the president and he (Buhari) granted their requests.

Shehu, however, emphasised that the meetings of the two former presidents with Buhari had nothing to do with the ongoing investigations into the looting of public funds.

According to him, Nigerians had better get used to that kind of a meeting between the president and his predecessors more of it will continue to take place.