Osinbajo Travels To Represent Buhari At ECOWAS Meeting In Niger

The Vice President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo is set to represent President Muhammadu Buhari Today in Niger, who is away in the UK on a private visit.

He will be attending an Extraordinary ECOWAS summit to review the ongoing situation in Guinea Bissau. 

By implication, both the President and the VP are out of Nigeria at the moment.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Laolu Akande, tweeted, he said: VP Osinbajo to represent President Buhari today in Niger where an Extraordinary ECOWAS summit is holding to review the ongoing situation in Guinea Bissau. He will depart Abuja this morning and return later today.”

"There has been call for restraint and dialogue to end the latest political crisis in that West African country.

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"Guinea-Bissau President Jose Mario Vaz triggered the latest escalation in an ongoing power struggle with the ruling PAIGC (African Party of the Independence of Guinea and Cape Verde) party, of which he was once a member.

"He recently sacked Prime Minister Aristides Gomes and named a replacement from a minority political party.

"But Gomes has refused to step down, escalating tensions ahead of an already delayed presidential election scheduled for November 24.

"The 15-nation West African regional bloc, ECOWAS, called Gomes’ firing “illegal.”