Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, on Wednesday, presided over a hybrid meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
The meeting was anchored from the State House Council Chambers, Abuja.
President Muhammadu Buhari was away in London, UK, for a routine medical check-up.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, Chief of Staff to the President, Prof. Ibrahim Gambari, and Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijjani Umar, joined the vice president in the Council Chambers for the meeting.
At the meeting, Minister of Science and Technology, Ogbonnaya Onu, Foreign Affairs Minister, Geoffrey Onyeama, Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed and Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello were present.
Others include Minister of Power, Muazu Sambo, Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo, and Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Sunday Dare.
The Minister of State for Science and Technology, Hassan Abdullahi, Minister of State for Power, Jedy Agba and Minister of State for Works and Housing, Abubakar Aliyu, were also physically present.
At the last meeting on March 9, FEC banned the direct sales of farm produce to foreigners.
The council said that henceforth, foreigners would be required to go through licensed local buying agents to access produce from farmers in the country.
Meanwhile, a political group, the Osinbajo Global Movement has said that Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo (SAN) will contest the 2023 presidential election.
The pro-Osinbajo group described as false, viral reports that the Vice President has denied his 2023 presidential ambition.
The group’s spokesperson, Chukwuma Azuka, in a statement on Tuesday, urged Nigerians to disregard the report described as a “worthless piece of article issued in bad faith and taste.”
The statement was titled, ‘Osinbajo never denied ambition for Presidency, group tells Nigerians.
Azuka, said, “The reports are complete falsehood and fabrications from the imaginations of the Vice President’s perennial detractors who are intimidated by Osinbajo’s glowing political profile.
“We in the Osinbajo Global Movement have predicted this move a long time ago which is why we are not shocked. For us, we know Osinbajo is contesting and will declare soon.
“Credible intelligence at our disposal points to elements working tirelessly to misinform people with the view to damping their hopes that Osinbajo will join the 2023 presidential race.
“Why they chose this route remains a mystery to us. We, on our part think democracy is about inclusion and freedom of choice. We then wonder why anyone or group thinks it’s good strategy to discourage people – especially Osinbajo’s supporters, from supporting him for the exalted office.
“We noticed there was a deliberate effort to misconstrue a statement from Osinbajo’s spokesperson, Laolu Akande, who said VP is only focused on the tasks he’s elected to do. This cannot mean Osinbajo is not interested in running for the office of President except one is just being plainly dishonest.
“We need not remind Nigerians that as a sitting Vice President, Osinbajo enjoys the right of first refusal when it comes to the All Progressive Congress ticket. So, the obviously fabricated report that he can deny his ambition shows the desperation of some of these integrity-challenged politicians.
“We urge Nigerians to completely disregard this worthless piece of article issued in bad faith and keep it where it truly belongs – the trash bin.”
