By Dipo Olowookere
President Muhammadu Buhari failed to show up for the maiden edition of South-East Economic and Security Summit, which kicked off on Thursday in Enugu.
His absence at the occasion comes barely two days after pro-Biafra group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), threatened and warned him not to set foot in Igboland.
Instead, it is believed that Mr Buhari sent former President, Mr Olusegun Obasanjo, to represent him at the event.
However, this has not been independently confirmed by Business Post.
Mr Buhari was billed to declare the event open, but he was not physically present there. Also, some of his Ministers earlier pencilled down for the summit stayed away from the function.
Chairman of the South-East Security and Economic Summit, Mr Barth Nnaji, during his speech, substituted the President’s name with that of Mr Obasanjo, who is at the programme as a ‘Distinguished Guest of Honour’.
It would be recalled that IPOB had in a statement told Mr Buhari to stay away from the region in his own interest.
An IPOB leader, Mr Nnamdi Kanu, is being held by the Federal Government for daring to seek secession from Nigeria.
Adedapo Adesanya