Photo journalists at the presidential villa in Abuja could not hide their surprise to see the former President at the council of state meeting, as they focused on him at the expense of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The immediate past president beamed with smiles as the photographers scrambled to take different shots of him.
Since handing over power in May 2015, this is the first time he would attend the meeting.
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Ibrahim Babaginda, Shehu Shagari, and Yakubu Gowon were conspicuously absent, alongside Senate President Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the house of representatives.
Abdulsalami Abubakar and Ernest Shonekan were also in attendance.
Five past justices of the federation, state governors and some of their deputies attended the meeting.
Among the state governors at the meeting included Rivers, Borno, Niger, Imo, Cross River, Taraba, Yobe, Benue, Bauchi, Enugu, Kwara, Adamawa.
Others are Abia, Sokoto, Kaduna, Lagos, Kogi, Plateau, Jigawa, Kebbi, Katsina. Former CJN at the meeting included Lawal Uwais, Mariam Muktar, Idris Kutigi, Alfa Belgore.
The council of state is the highest constitutional advisory body in Nigeria. The body constitutes former country’s leaders and they perform advisory roles to the president.
It is expected to confirm Ibrahim Idris as inspector-general of police.
