The president of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari, will today host four West African leaders. The meeting is aimed at avoiding violence and preserving democracy in Gambia.

The meeting is in line with his mandate as the mediator picked by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), to ensure a peaceful handover of power on January 19.

The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, has stated that President Buhari will have a meeting with the immediate past President of Ghana, John Mahama, the is co-mediator, Liberian President, Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf, Senagalese President,  Macky Sall and the Sierra Leone vice president.

The team is expected to ensure the safety of President-elect Adama Barrow and the expected handover of power.

The statement added: “The meeting in Abuja is following the one in Accra on the sidelines of the inauguration of that country’s President which expressed the readiness of the leaders of the sub-region to continue the pursuit of dialogue with the leaders of The Gambia.”