More than 20 presidents and heads of state of countries around the world have arrived Abuja for the inauguration of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the 16th president of Nigeria.
Many of the leaders started arriving Abuja for the historical event as early as Wednesday.
African leaders who have reportedly arrived for the inauguration include President Paul Kagame of Rwanda,South African President, Cyril Ramaphosa, Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune, President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan; President of the Republic of Congo Brazzaville, Denis Sassou Nguesso and President of Guinea Bissau, Umaro Sissoco Embaló.
Also present are the President of Burundi, Évariste Ndayishimiye; the Transitional Presidents of Chad, Mahamat Déby; the President of Niger Republic, Mohamed Bazoum; and President Nana Akufo-Ado of Ghana.
The delegations from Sierra Leonean and Liberian governments have also arrived in Abuja for the ceremony, while the Qatar delegation is led by Foreign Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani.
From other parts of the world are delegations which includes India which is led by Defence Minister, Mr Rajnath Singh, as a Special Envoy of the Prime Minister to be accompanied by a senior officials from the Ministry of Defence and Ministry of External Affairs of India.
The Canadian Government is represented by the Minister of Housing, Diversity and Inclusion, Ahmed Hussen, as head; the United Kingdom’s delegation is comprised of the Special Envoy of King Charles led by the Minister of State for Development and Africa at the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Andrew Mitchell; the Prime Minister’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria and Special Envoy on Girls’ Education, Helen Grant, and the British High Commissioner to Nigeria, Dr Richard Montgomery and the nine-man delegation from the United States as approved by President Joe Biden, led by Marcia L. Fudge, US Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. Members of the US delegation to Nigeria include David Greene, chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Abuja; Sydney Kamlager-Dove, Democratic Representative from California; Marisa Lago, the US Department of Commerce’s Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade and Michael E. Langley, the commander of the United States Africa Command.
Others include Enoh T. Ebong, director of the United States Trade and Development Agency; Mary Catherine Phee, the US Department of State’s Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs; Judd Devermont, national security council’s special assistant to the president and senior director for African issues; and Monde Muyangwa, the assistant administrator for Africa at the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The Chinese government delegation is led by a Communist Party leader and minister as well as the Turkish government delegation.
Also, inauguration of both new and second term governors would take place in 28 states of the federation today Monday, May 29, 2023.
The states whose governors would be inaugurated for the second term include are Bala Mohammed of Bauchi, Umaru Fintiri of Adamawa, Babagana Zulum of Borno, Inuwa Yahaya of Gombe, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos, Mai Mala Buni of Yobe, Abdullahi Sule of Nasarawa, Dapo Abiodun of Ogun, and AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara.
New governors to be sworn-in today in 18 states, Alex Otti of Abia, Hyacinth of Benue, Uba Sani of Kaduna, Bassey Otu of Cross River, Dikko Radda of Katsina, Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi, Mohammed Bago of Niger, Ahmed Aliyu of Sokoto, Kefas Agbu of Taraba, Caleb Mutfwang of Plateau, Peter Mbah of Enugu, Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom, Dauda Lawal of Zamfara, Siminialayi Fubara of Rivers, Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta, Kabiru Yusuf Abba of Kano, Umar Namadi of Jigawa, and Nasiru Idris of Kebbi.
Today’s inaguaration would be the 7th consecutive democratic transition of power following the return of Nigeria to civilian administration in 1999.
According to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation and Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council, Boss Mustapha, all arrangements had been finalised and the stage set for the historical events. for a seamless transition of power.
“Let me once again assure Nigerians and indeed the global community of President Muhammadu Buhari’s commitment to the seamless transfer of power to President-Elect, His Excellency, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He said today’s event is significant to Nigeria and the international community, particularly Africa because of the democratic values and lessons in nationhood. For these reasons, we have chosen, ‘Nigeria: Better Together’, as the theme for the 2023 transition,” he said.
The world leaders attended the presidential inauguration dinner and gala night held at the State House, Abuja yesterday.
