The Presidency has released the details of the meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and his predecessor, former President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
In a statement on Tuesday by the Presidential Spokesman, Femi Adesina said former President and ECOWAS special envoy, Jonathan briefed the President on Mali crisis.
Adesina added that Jonathan told President Buhari that the country’s main opposition group, M5, demanded the resignation of President Ibrahim Keita. He said ECOWAS also rejected the demands of the opposition group.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari Tuesday received his immediate predecessor in office, Dr Goodluck Jonathan, at State House, Abuja.
“Dr Jonathan, who is ECOWAS Special Envoy to the Republic of Mali, briefed on the political situation in the West African country, as corollary to efforts by West African leaders to restore stability to the country.
“President Buhari and four other ECOWAS leaders had visited Bamako, Mali, last month, followed by a virtual extraordinary summit of the sub-regional body.
“Dr Jonathan, who was in Mali from Monday to Thursday, last week, recounted his meetings with the stakeholders, including political and religious leaders, Ambassadors of US, France, Russia, Germany, European Union, and other important personalities key to peace and cohesion in the country.
“The main opposition group, M5, he said, continued to insist on the resignation of President Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, a position not acceptable to ECOWAS, which insisted only on democratic process in change of power within its jurisdiction.”