Jonathan visits Aso Rock, briefs Buhari on Mali crisis

Former President Goodluck Jonathan visited President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.

According to presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, Jonathan briefed Buhari on the political development in the Republic of Mali.

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Adesina said a special meeting of ECOWAS, which will hold in Ghana, on Sunday, to deliberate on the political situation in Mali.

He said that was the subject of the parley between the Head of the ECOWAS Mediation Team, former President, Jonathan, and President Buhari.

He said the President repeated his earlier avowal that whatever Nigeria would do on the Mali situation would be done within the ambit of ECOWAS.

In a separate statement earlier issued on Thursday, Buhari, who also received a Special Envoy from Col. Assimi Goita, the Transitional President of Mali, promised that Nigeria would do her level best for the sister country, within the requirements of ECOWAS.

Col. Abdoulaye Maiga, Mali’s Minister of Territorial Administration and Decentralization, led a team, which briefed President Buhari on Conclusions from the National Conference on State-Rebuilding, held in Bamako, December 27-30, 2021.

Responding to the comprehensive briefing, the President said nobody could love Mali more than Malians themselves, counselling that everyone should work within the tenets of ECOWAS, in order to restore constitutional order to the West African country at the shortest possible time.

“I am pleased you have briefed the ECOWAS Chairman too,’’ said President Buhari. “Nigeria will work within ECOWAS limitations to assist Mali. Every country has its issues. We fought our own Civil War before, so we may not know the totality of the internal politics of each country. But we will make as much sacrifice as we can for Mali, within ECOWAS requirements.”

The Special Envoy expressed gratitude to Nigeria for support to his country in terms of bilateral relations, and for the help rendered to the ECOWAS Mediation Team, led by former President Goodluck Jonathan.

He said the vision of Col. Goita was speedy return to democracy, adding that Mali wants to review laws guiding elections, “and professionalize the process.”