EXTRA: Zuma late for meeting with n’assembly

Jacob Zuma, president of South Africa, arrived late to a meeting with members of Nigeria’s national assembly on Tuesday.

The event was scheduled for 3pm, but Zuma, accompanied by President Muhammadu Buhari, arrived at the chamber of the house representatives, where the meeting took place, at 3:06:47pm.

The house of representatives had already sat before the presidents arrived, meaning it had to suspend its standing rules in a motion moved by Femi Gbajabiamila, from Lagos state, to admit the dignitaries.

Yakubu Dogara, the speaker, had also announced during plenary that Zuma would address a joint session of the national assembly at 3pm.

But Zuma came a few minutes after the scheduled time.

Senate President Bukola Saraki delivered the opening remarks and then invited the South African president to deliver his speech, which lasted 47 minutes.

In his speech, Zuma called for a more robust relationship between South Africa and Nigeria, recalling how Nigeria helped in the struggle against apartheid in his country.

However, Buhari did not utter a word throughout the meeting.

Dogara, on the other hand, delivered the closing remarks, calling for a better relationship between South Africa and Nigeria.