The nation’s highest decision-making body, Federal Executive Council, may reconvene on Wednesday after weeks of adjournment due to Covid-19.

Unlike previous meetings which saw members gathering at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, however, Wednesday’s meeting is expected to be virtual.

This is the first time FEC meeting will be virtual.

While most members will be attending from their offices, only a few aides will join President Muhammadu Buhari who is expected to preside from either the Council Chambers or his office.

The council’s meetings usually hold every Wednesday and are presided by either the President or Vice President Yemi Osinbajo whenever the President was not available.

The last meeting was held on March 18.

On March 25 when the weekly meeting did not hold, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, had told State House correspondents that the council’s meetings had been suspended as part of the “partial lockdown” of the Presidential Villa in a bid to check spread of Covid-19.

Adesina said the meetings were suspended “because of the size, and that is not advisable at a time like this,” adding however that important decisions, which ought to be taken by FEC, would still be taken by a smaller team of persons.

Ahead of Wednesday’s virtual meeting, Minister of Communications, Mr Isa Pantami, has been leading some of his ministry’s officials to test run the process to forestall technical hitches.

The ministry shared pictures of the test-run on its twitter handle, @FMoCDENigeria, on Sunday evening.

“So far, the preparation is excellent,” Pantami replied to the ministry’s tweet on his Twitter handle, @DrIsaPantami.

The Wednesday meeting will, among other issues, discuss the nation’s response to spread of Covid-19.

Punch