Nigeria's acting leader, president meet in London

By Rafiu Ajakaye

LAGOS, Nigeria

The country’s acting leader late Tuesday met ailing 74-year-old President Muhammadu Buhari, more than 60 days after the retired army general left Abuja to seek treatment for an undisclosed illness.

“Acting President [Yemi] Osinbajo [met] with President Buhari in London today, and will return to Abuja immediately afterwards,” according to a terse statement released by Osinbajo’s media office.

The statement did not provide additional details on the first physical contact between the men since Buhari left for London in early May.

The meeting comes amid calls for Buhari to resign or have parliament ease him out through impeachment - a tedious process analysts say is virtually impossible in a country deeply divided along ethno-religious lines.

Last week, a group of senators failed when they tried to upstage Osinbajo while he was away in Ethiopia for an African Union meeting by asking the president of the Senate to take over as acting leader.

Buhari and Osinbajo belong to the All Progressives Congress (APC party) that has a slight majority in parliament.