President Muhammadu Buhari has left Abuja for a meeting of the African Union (AU) in Malabo, Equatorial Guinea’s capital.
Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, made the announcement in a statement on Thursday.
Buhari will attend the African Union’s (AU) Extraordinary Session of the Assembly of Heads of State and Government, according to the presidential spokesman.
The President will attend two AU summits, according to Shehu: the ‘Extraordinary Humanitarian Summit and Pledging Conference’ and the ‘Extraordinary Summit on Unconstitutional Changes of Government in Africa.’
The presidential spokesman said that the summits which begin from May 25 to 28 will specifically be focused on security, adding that the President will meet with some leaders during the meeting.
He disclosed that the First Lady, Aisha Buhari, who is the President of the African First Ladies Peace Mission, will accompany her husband to the meeting.
The statement reads: “The three-day summit, which will hold on May 26th-28th, will also focus on Humanitarian Challenges in Africa, with related issues on migration, refugees, returnees and Internally Displaced Persons.
“At the summit, the African leaders will look at Terrorism and Unconstitutional Change of Government, with attendant spiralling effects on human rights and economies.
“President Buhari will join other Heads of State and Government to deliberate on Humanitarian Challenges, Hopes and Challenges in Africa, and participate in the adoption of Assembly Declaration on Humanitarian Summit and pledging conference.
“On security and governance, the Assembly of Heads of State and Government of the African Union will take a united position on Terrorism and Unconstitutional Change of Government, and reach agreements on new approaches to stem the tide.”
Some of the officials on the President’s entourage include Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama; Minister of Defence, Maj-Gen Bashir Salihi Magashi (rtd); Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management & Social Development, Sadiya Umar Farouq; National Security Adviser, Maj-Gen Babagana Monguno (Rtd); Director-General, National Intelligence Agency (NIA), Amb. Ahmed Rufa’i Abubakar and Chairman, Nigerians In Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) Abike Dabiri-Erewa.
