President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday cancelled his scheduled trip to Niger Republic. His
Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had
announced on Sunday that Buhari would join some worlds leaders for the
59th Proclamation of Republic of Niger ceremony in Tahoua, Niger.
Shehu
had said Buhari, alongside the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad,
Mauritania and Niger, will participate in the event held on December 18
of every year to commemorate the founding of the Republic of Niger and
creation of the Presidency.
“After the ceremony, the Nigerian
leader will hold bilateral meetings with some of his counterparts before
returning to Abuja same day.
“President Buhari will be
accompanied on the trip by Governors Aminu Masari, Ibrahim Gaidam and
Kashim Shettima of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States respectively,” the
statement had read.
But Buhari did not embark on the trip on Monday as scheduled.
Shehu,
however, explained that the President cancelled the trip because he
felt satisfied that he had had useful discussions with President
Mahamadou Issoufou in the course of the weekend meeting of the Economic
Community of West African States in Abuja.
He added that after a
telephone discussion with Issoufou on Sunday evening, Buhari decided to
send the three governors of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States as well as
the Minister of State, Foreign Affairs to represent him.
The
presidential spokesman said, “The event to which the President was
invited is the celebration of the 59th year of the country’s
independence.
“Niger invited the leaders of neighbouring states: the Presidents of Mali, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mauritania and Nigeria.
“President
Buhari felt satisfied that he had had useful discussions with his
friend and brother, President Mahamadou Issoufou, in the course of the
weekend meeting in Abuja, of the Economic Community of West African
States.
“After a phone call last (Sunday) night, between the
leaders, President Buhari decided to send a delegation made up of the
three governors of Katsina, Yobe and Borno States along with the
Minister of State, Foreign Affairs to represent him.”