In preparation for his upcoming inauguration, President-elect
Bola Tinubu embarked on a tour of the
State House, accompanied by outgoing
President Muhammadu Buhari. The tour took place the day after legal hurdles
regarding Tinubu’s inauguration were cleared by both the Supreme Court and a
Federal High Court in Abuja.
To commemorate the inauguration of the nation’s 16th President,
the federal government declared Monday, May 29, a work-free day for all workers
in the country. After participating in Jumat prayers at the State House Mosque,
Buhari and Tinubu proceeded to the Press Gallery of the State House. There,
they listened to their guide, Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, the State House Chief
of Protocols, without engaging with reporters who were eager to ask questions.
Before the tour, Tinubu joined Buhari for Juma’at prayers,
where he expressed his intention to seek the support of Almighty Allah in
successfully carrying out his governance responsibilities. Tinubu mentioned
that he would seek wisdom and knowledge from Sheikh Abdulwahid Abubakar
Suleiman, the Chief Imam of the State House Mosque, who emphasized the
importance of trust in leadership.
The handover ceremonies began with the investiture of Tinubu
and Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, who received the highest national
honors and the handover documents. The climax of the events was set to occur on
Monday, May 29, when Tinubu would take the oath of office as the 16th President
of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
In terms of the legal challenges, the Supreme Court
unanimously dismissed the appeal by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) seeking
Tinubu’s disqualification from the presidential election due to the alleged
double nomination of Shettima. Additionally, the Federal High Court in Abuja
dismissed a suit alleging perjury by Tinubu. The PDP had argued that the All
Progressives Congress (APC) violated the law by nominating Shettima as both a
senatorial candidate and a vice-presidential candidate. However, the courts
ruled in favor of Tinubu, stating that the PDP lacked the necessary legal
authority to challenge the internal affairs of another political party.
Shortly after the Supreme Court’s ruling, a Federal High
Court in Abuja also dismissed a suit filed by three individuals seeking to stop
Tinubu’s May 29 inauguration. The plaintiffs alleged that Tinubu provided false
information about his age and citizenship status to the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC). The court ruled that the plaintiffs lacked the
necessary standing and jurisdiction to initiate the suit and deemed it
frivolous and an abuse of court process. The court imposed a total cost of N17
million against the plaintiffs and their lawyers to discourage the filing of
similar baseless suits in the future.
Meanwhile, Atiku Abubakar, the PDP presidential candidate in
the February election, stated that the dismissal of the suit against Shettima
would not affect his petition before the Presidential Election Tribunal. Atiku
maintained that the election was fraudulent and did not meet the required
guidelines.
The federal government declared May 29 a work-free day to
celebrate the inauguration of the 16th President. The Minister of Interior,
Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, conveyed the declaration, urging Nigerians to continue
supporting democracy and upholding democratic institutions.
Lastly, President Buhari directed all outgoing officials to
declare their assets, emphasizing that asset declaration promotes integrity,
combats corruption, and raises moral standards in public service. Buhari
himself demonstrated strict adherence to this constitutional requirement and
called for all officials, including the Vice-President, to follow suit.
