7 things we learnt from acting president's meeting with president

Acting president Yemi Osinbajo breezed into the Abuja House in London to see president Muhammadu Buhari on July 11; and was back to chair a federal executive council (FEC) meeting on July 12.

Buhari left for London to treat an undisclosed ailment on May 7, 2017.

Shortly before the FEC meeting in the nation's capital, Osinbajo had a question and answer session with journalists.

Here are a few excerpts from that interaction:

1. Buhari’s famed humour hasn’t left him.

According to Osinbajo, the president has retained his wit and sense of humour from the confines of an isolated apartment abroad.

“Buhari is in very high spirits. He is recuperating very well and we had a very long conversation. We spoke for well over an hour and his humor is all there. He is doing well and he is recuperating fast”, Osinbajo said.

2. Before Osinbajo’s trip to London, he had only been communicating with Buhari over the phone.

The acting president said; “Well, first as you know, I went to see him. I went to check up on him and find out how he was doing. I had of course been speaking with him on the phone and I thought it will be a good thing to go and see him and you know, generally check up on how he was doing and also to brief him on developments back at home".

3. Buhari is recovering super fast.

Don't lose too much sleep over the nation's commander-in-chief because he's recuperating rather nicely, says Osinbajo.

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"So we had a very good time, we had a very good conversation on wide-ranging issues and he is in very good spirits. He is recuperating very quickly and he is doing very well", Osinbajo reiterated.

4. Expect Buhari any time soon.

There was no time frame, but Osinbajo says you should expect the president back home any time soon.

"We are expecting Buhari back in Nigeria very shortly. Very very shortly. I think we should really expect him back very shortly. Like I said, he is recuperating very fast and he is doing very, very well”.

5. Osinbajo was tight-lipped when pressed on what was discussed during his meeting with Buhari.

If you were expecting a tell-it-all session after this meeting between both leaders, you may have to wait a little longer.

“We discussed wide-ranging issues. I really can’t go into specifics of all of the discussions we had”, said Osinbajo.

6. Those ministers waiting to get into the cabinet have to wait a little longer.

There are two ministerial nominees who haven’t been inaugurated into the federal executive council since they were cleared by parliament.

The nominees are Prof. Stephen Ikanyo Ocheni from Kogi and Suleman Zamah Hassan from Gombe.

Both names were drafted to replace the late James Ocholi who passed away after a car crash and Amina Mohammed who took up a job with the United Nations.

Osinbajo gave nothing away when asked whether he’s been tasked by the president to swear in the ministers-designate.

"Well, I’m not in a position to say anything about the ministers-designate. I don’t have a date in mind but I’m sure very very soon, we will inaugurate them.

"No. We didn’t discuss inauguration or anything like that. We didn’t".

7. No one knows when Buhari will return; maybe not even Osinbajo himself.

Buhari has been away for 66 days now. Osinbajo was asked if Buhari will be back before day 90.

“No, no. Deadlines aren’t a very good thing but as I said, Buhari is recuperating fast. We are expecting him very shortly. Much sooner than you will expect", the acting president said.

There you have it.