Buhari unveils Gambari as new chief of staff

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced Prof. Ibrahim Gambari as his new chief of staff.

Gambari was unveiled on Wednesday at the maiden virtual meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

The virtual meeting, the first of its kind in the history of the council, was held at the Council Chamber of the Presidential Villa.

The meeting involved Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha, and some of the cabinet ministers.

Head of Service, Folashade Yemi-Esan, and some of the cabinet ministers participated in the meeting directly from their respective offices.

The meeting which started at about 11:22 a.m., occasioned by the prevailing coronavirus pandemic in the country, was conducted in line with the basic COVID-19 protocol of social distancing.

A former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Gambari, whose news of appointment as the new Chief of Staff to President Buhari went viral on Tuesday, replaces Abba Kyari who died in April of COVID-19 complications.

One minute silence was observed in honour of the late Kyari and some former members of the cabinet before the commencement of the meeting.

During the meeting, the SGF formally announced Gambari as the new CoS to the President.

Gambari took his official seat immediately after his introduction by the SGF.