Prior to the Friday, May 29, 2015 handover date, President Goodluck Jonathan will take the President-elect, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari and vice presidential-elect, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo on a tour of the Presidential villa in Aso Rock on Thursday, May 28, 2015.
Speaking at a media briefing after the National Council of State meeting on Tuesday, May 12, 2015, the governor of Benue State, Gabriel Suswam, said; “On the 28th, President Jonathan will conduct General Buhari and the vice president-elect, Professor Yemi Osibanjo, round the villa.”
The governor of Niger State, Babangida Aliyu, also cleared the air on the confusion over “handover”, fixed for May 28, and “inauguration”, slated for the following day. He said at the briefing; “It is only a technicality. One is inauguration, the formality of the new president taking over. Technically, the 29th is for the new man taking over.
For the hand-over of documents you don’t wait till Friday, May 29, 2015 because after the inauguration the transition committee may continue. If you recall, when President Jonathan came on board, he inaugurated the General Danjuma committee to look at all the documents that were handed over to them and make recommendations. So it is a continuous thing.
“The handing over of document from the outgoing president to the incoming president will take place on the 28th and the inauguration on the 29th. So, 22nd is Jummat prayer, 24th will be Sunday service, 28th will be handing over as well as dinner and 29th inauguration, a luncheon and a gala night.”
Suswam added that a template for a civilian to civilian transition saying: “The council decided that henceforth there has to be a template in which transition will follow. We have never had it. This is the first time one is going to be developed, so that there is no speculation as to what needs to be done, as everything will be in a template.
“If there is a transition whether it is from the same party to the same party or from one party to another, it is the same template. You will recall that we have never had a template in which to follow and how we go about our transition but what is going to happen this time around is going to be permanent.”
