Although no official reason was given, Sundiata Post gathered that the postponement was as a result of an oversight in the invitation of participants.
It was gathered that the meeting which was scheduled to take place at 4pm inside the State House Conference Center (Old Banquet Hall of the Presidential Villa), Abuja had to be called off with the realisation that only Muslim traditional rulers led by Sultan of Sokoto, Alhaji Abubakar Sa’ad III were invited.
Prominent first class non-Muslim rulers who should have been invited were mistakenly left out of the parley.
The postponement is ostensibly to enable necessary arrangements to be made to get other relevant northern royal fathers to the meeting.
All arrangements had been made for the take-off of the meeting before it was postponed with some of the invited guests already at the venue.
Among those that showed up were representative of Senate President and Deputy Senate Leader, Bala Ibn Na’alla; Speaker, House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara; Minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Danbazzau, Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu; Ona of Abaji, Dr. Adamu Baba Yunusa, Chairman Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Traditional Rulers Council; Sakaruyi of Karu, Dr. Emmanuel Kyauta Yekwi, among others.
However, a private breaking of fast meeting (iftar) was scheduled for 6pm with 10 northern traditional rulers invited to participate.
Osinbajo began series of meetings with stakeholders with foremost leaders of thought from the Northern States of Nigeria last Tuesday.
In all the meetings Osinbajo has insisted that both groups were clearly violating the Nigerian Constitution, which insists on the sanctity of the unity of the country and the right of every citizen to reside in any part of the country he chooses.
He has also warned that comments that threaten the peace and unity of the country will not be tolerated.
But when contacted to comment on the development, the media aide to the Acting President Laolu Akande, said, “The meeting today is going on but it will be an Iftar dinner meeting. Tomorrow AgP will meet with traditional rulers from the North
“And a representation of Northern Traditional rulers both Moslems and Christians have been duly invited.”
He will also meet with governors of the 36 states of the federation on a yet to be determined date this week while a bigger meeting with all stakeholders is scheduled to hold on Thursday, June 22.