Former head of state General Yakubu Gowon met President Bola Tinubu at the State House in Abuja on February 21. Gowon made his first visit to Tinubu since the president took office. The two leaders held talks on peace and security across the West African sub-region.
Gowon later addressed state house correspondents. He described the meeting as productive.
Gowon praised the administration’s efforts. “I think the government is trying its best to deal with the various problems of the country,” he said. He noted that every leader faces criticism yet stressed that those in office understand the difficulties better than outsiders.
Gowon called for calm. “Nigerians have to give the president time to get things done,” he added. He explained that it remained too early to expect perfect results.
Gowon compared the situation to his own era. Critics once accused him of moving too slowly during the civil war, but he insisted the challenges on the ground demanded careful action.
Additionally, Gowon raised current issues facing the Economic Community of West African States. As one of the group’s surviving founding members, he shared ideas with Tinubu on how to resolve them. Gowon said the conversation proved interesting and focused on bringing stability to the region.
