Buhari Departs Abuja To Attend AU Summit Few Days To APC Presidential Primary

President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja to attend the African Union (AU) meeting in Malabo, the capital of Equatorial Guinea.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, made the disclosure in a statement on Thursday.

The presidential spokesman said Buhari will take part in the African Union (AU) Extraordinary Session of Assembly of Heads of State and Government.

According to Shehu, the President will participate in the two AU summits – 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.