Guinea coup: Osinbajo departs Abuja for ECOWAS meeting

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has departed Abuja to represent President, Muhammadu at the second extraordinary summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government.

The meeting is holding over the recent coup in the Republic of Guinea, a statement from Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, Mr Laolu Akande, said.

The statement issued on Thursday was titled, ‘VP Osinbajo to represent Nigeria at ECOWAS meeting in Accra concerning situation in Guinea.

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The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari would be represented by his deputy, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, at the 2nd Extraordinary Summit of the ECOWAS Authority of Heads of State and Government on the political situation in the Republic of Guinea today.

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“Prof. Osinbajo had participated last week at the previous ECOWAS Extraordinary Summit on the political situation in Guinea and Mali. That meeting was held virtually on the 8th of September.

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“The Authority decided then that Guinea be immediately suspended from all ECOWAS governing bodies and statutory meetings.

“ECOWAS leaders had also called for the immediate and unconditional release of President Alpha Conde and other arrested persons; demanded the immediate return of Guinea to constitutional order; and decided to immediately dispatch a high-level ECOWAS mission to Guinea to assess the situation.

“The physical meeting taking place today will review the situation in Guinea in light of the report of the ECOWAS high-level mission to Conakry.

“The Vice President who leaves Abuja this morning would be accompanied by the Foreign Affairs Minister of State, Ambassador Zubairu Dada and is expected back in Abuja later today.”