The Presidential Villa, Abuja wore a mournful
look in the early hours of Wednesday, the
morning after President Goodluck Jonathan
lost his re-election bid.

A few workers who had already closed from
work at the time the Chairman of the
Independent National Electoral Commission,
Prof. Attahiru Jega, named Maj. Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) of the All
Progressives Congress the President-elect,
were seen discussing the development in hush
tones.

The weekly Federal Executive Council meeting
did not hold.

But some members of FEC, mostly ministers,
gathered at the President’s office later in
the day to pay a solidarity visit to Jonathan.
Some of the ministers who met with the
President were the Attorney-General of the
Federation, Mr. Mohammed Adoke (SAN);
Minister of State II, Foreign Affairs,
Senator Musiliu Obanikoro; Minister of
Interior, Mr. Abba Moro; Minister of Foreign
Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali; and Minister
of National Planning, Suleiman Abubakar.
Some female ministers also visited the
President.

They included the Minister of Women Affairs,
Zainab Maina; Minister of Communication
Technology, Omobola Johnson; Minister of
Water Resources, Sarah Ochekpe; Minister of
Environment, Laraba Mallam; Minister of
Lands, Housing and Urban Development, Akon
Eyakenyi.

One of the ministers who pleaded anonymity
told our correspondent that they used the
opportunity of the visit to encourage the
President and commend him for his
achievements.

The government official expressed the
optimism that Jonathan might win the Nobel
Peace Prize for ensuring that the nation
remained peaceful after conducting a free,
fair and credible election.

It will be recalled that some ministers and
governors had on Tuesday evening visited the
President.

Among the early callers were Governor
Godswill Akpabio of Akwa Ibom State;
Governor Jonah Jang of Plateau State;
Governor Seriake Dickson of Bayelsa State
and a former Minister of Labour and
Productivity, Mr. Emeka Worgu.

Also, the nation’s service chiefs on
Wednesday visited President Jonathan.
They were led to the closed-door session with
the President by the National Security
Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.).

The service chiefs who met with Jonathan at
the Presidential Villa, Abuja included the
Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal
Alex Badeh; Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen.
Kenneth Minimah; Chief of Naval Staff, Vice
Admiral Usman Jibrin; and Chief of Air Staff,
Air Marshal Adesola Amosu.

None of them spoke with journalists at the
end of the parley that lasted about an hour.
After the meeting, they also consulted briefly
with Dasuki at the forecourt of the
President’s office before they left.

Details of discussion at the meeting were not
available at the time of filing this report.
The last time the security chiefs met with
Jonathan was on March 17 when they briefed
him of their preparation for the general
election and the success recorded in the anti-
terrorism war in the north-eastern pa rt of
the country.

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