Former leaders present when the meeting started at few minutes past 11:00 a.m. were Gen. Yakubu Gowon (retd) and Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar (retd).
Former President Olusegun Obasanjo arrived after the national anthem and the opening prayers were said.
The meeting was the third Council of State meeting held under President Muhammadu Buhari.
Also at the meeting are Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, former Chief Justices of Nigeria and Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
Governors of Adamawa, Benue, Kebbi, Jigawa, Delta, Lagos, Nasarawa, Abia, Sokoto, Imo, Bauchi, Akwa Ibom, Kano, Plateau, Ogun, Rivers, Zamfara, Ebonyi and Kaduna States are also attending the meeting.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, was absent when the meeting started.
The meeting started when President Buhari arrived the Council Chamber and went round the place to shake hands with those present.
The first meeting under Buhari was held on October 21, 2015, while the second was held in September 2016.
The National Council of State is chaired by President Buhari, with Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as Deputy Chairman.
The meeting was still in progress at the time of filing this report.