The former vice presidential candidate to the late MKO Abiola, in the June 12 1993 presidential election, Ambassador Babagana Kingibe, has been appointed as special envoy.
The appointment, which was approved by President General Muhammadu Buhari is of cabinet rank status. Kingibe takes charge as the president’s Special Envoy to Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
This was contained in a statement by Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, on Monday.
The statement reads thus:
“This appointment of a Special Envoy by the President is also in consonance with the resolution of the Extraordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Member Countries, on the situation in Chad on the 25th of May, 2021.
“The Special Envoy will amongst others: Monitor developments in Chad and the Lake Chad Basin Region; aid reconciliation and seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule at the end of the current Transitional Military Council’s rule; collaborate with member countries and partners in the region with similar initiatives to restore stability, promote peace and, security; and promote any other initiative ancillary to the restoration of peace and security in Chad, the North-East Nigeria and the Lake Chad Basin Region.
“President Buhari has by this appointment demonstrated the determination of Nigeria to lead regional security efforts that will stabilize the Lake Chad Basin Region, bring peace to Chad and ultimately eliminate the Boko Haram Insurgency in the North East zone of Nigeria.
“This is also a fulfilment of the President’s promise to General Mahamat Deby Itno, the President of the Transitional Military Council of Chad, to support seamless progress towards a return to democratic rule, when he visited Nigeria in May, 2021