Buhari: programme of inauguration starts 22 May

The inauguration of Nigeria’s president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari will be kick started with prayers on Friday 22 May.

This will be followed with a Sunday service on 24 May.

On 28 May, the President-elect will be handed over notes from the outgoing president Gooodluck Jonathan, who will also take Buhari and his vice-president elect, Professor Yemi Osinbajo on a tour of Aso Villa, the presidential palace. A pre-inauguration dinner will crown the day.

The inuaguration ceremony will take place on 29 May and it will be witnessed by many leaders from around the world. There will be a gala night and luncheon on the special day.

The programme was announced in Abuja on Tuesday at the end of the National Council of State meeting, the final one to be chaired by President Goodluck Jonathan.

Both Governor Babangida Aliyu and Governor Gabriel Suswam addressed the media, with Suswam declaring that the enunciated programme, has been adopted as the standard template for future inaugurations.

Suswam said the approval of the template was meant to ensure uniformity in subsequent transitions in the country.

“The Council decided that henceforth there has to be a template that successive transitions will follow. We never had it, this is the first time that one is going to be developed so that subsequently there is no speculation as to what needs to be done, everything is in a template.

“Yes, if there is a transition whether is the same party to the same party, they follow the same template. If it is from one party to another party, the same template, this is the first time that it is being developed; you notice or recall that we never really have a template as what to follow, how we go about our transition.

“But what is going to happen this time around is going to be permanent for successive transitions.’’

Suswam said invitations were extended to all heads of states and governments within and outside African continent to enable them to witness the event.

Aliyu said similar invitations were also extended to Prime Ministers of the G8, multilateral heads like the United Nations and the Commonwealth.

The Council of State comprises the President, Vice President, Senate President, former Heads of State and Presidents, Chief Justice of the Federation, former Chief Justices and State Governors

The meeting, which was presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan, was attended by Vice-President Namadi Sambo, Senate President David Mark, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Aminu Tambuwal, all former Heads of State and Presidents, Chief Justice of the Federation and former Chief Justices of the Federation and state governors.