Buhari Could Discuss Nnamdi Kanu In UK; Protests Await His Stay

By Ayodele Oni

Speculations are high that there is one reasons President Muhammadu Buhari left for the United Kingdom on Monday for a meeting he could have, like others, participated in by Zoom.

President Muhammadu Buhari decided to embark on the trip to the United Kingdom, about three weeks after he abruptly  put on hold an earlier meeting, less than 24 hours to his departure. The postponed meeting was on medical grounds.

Even though the Presidency did not give any reason for the postponement, sources said the trip was called off because at the time, the leader of IPOB, a British citizen, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, was already in custody in Kenya, and the President tactically avoided being in the UK in the heat of Kanu’s arrest. Aside from the obvious protest from IPOB members and supporters that could have made his stay uncomfortable, he did not want to answer any questions from the British authorities. He wanted to put his house in order.

Buhari, according to the Presidency, is in the UK to  attend the summit on Global Education Financing, Global Partnership for Education (GPE) 2021-2025. But he would be away for two weeks, partly to see his doctors, and partly to discuss the Kanu issue, even on unofficial basis with the British authorities.

The Summit, which will be co-hosted by the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Boris Johnson, and the President of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, will bring together Heads of State and Government.

Other participants include stakeholders and youth leaders,and will also provide a platform for partners to chart a way forward towards transforming education systems in partner countries, through exchange of best practices.

It will also offer the opportunity for leaders to make five-year pledges to support GPE’s work to help transform education systems in up to 90 countries and territories.

Deliberations at the Summit will focus on: The Power of Education –A Conversation between Global Champions; Transforming Education for Girls; Financing for Impact and Recovery and Priorities for Transforming Education in the Coming Five Years, among others.

President Buhari is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

After the Summit, the President will spend a few days for an earlier scheduled medical check-up. He is due back by second week of August, 2021.

The President will be accompanied by Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of State Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen. Babagana Monguno (rtd) and Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar.

Recall that Buhari had suddenly cancelled his earlier scheduled medical trip to the United Kingdom without any reasons given.

However, it was strongly suspected that it had to do with the re-arrest of the Leader of the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra, IPOB. Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

Kanu, a British citizen, was re-arrested in Nairobi, Kenya, and repatriated to Nigeria for a continuation of his trial for murder before the Hon. Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court, Abuja.

The President obviously did not want to be in London during the period of Kanu’s arrest, allegedly fearing a protest by IPOB members and supporters in Britain.

An APC Chieftain and a Special Adviser to the Lagos State Governor, Joe Igbokwe, hinted as much when he said, on Kanu’s arrest: “Now you know why the President did not travel to London.”