ABUJA, Nigeria – More than six weeks after his inauguration, President Bola Tinubu has not yet moved into his official residence at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa in Abuja.
While President Tinubu actively utilizes his private conference room, office space, and the Aso Chambers for crucial meetings with both domestic and international guests, his official residence to the east of the office remains unoccupied.
After his inauguration on the afternoon of May 29, 2023, President Tinubu attended a lunch at the State Banquet Hall with fellow Heads of State and country representatives who attended the ceremony at Eagles Square, Abuja.
However, at the end of each workday, his convoy bypasses the official residence, exits the Villa, and heads to his private mansion in Maitama.
The same routine applies to his daily arrival at the office.
The ongoing renovations, which started in late April when former President Muhammadu Buhari moved out of the 32-year-old structure into a temporary residence named the Glass House, might be the cause.
Weeks before President Tinubu’s inauguration on May 6, 2023, maintenance work started in the Villa, involving repainting worn-out sections and replacing furniture in the green room of the Council Chamber, among other tasks.
Garba Shehu, a spokesman for former President Buhari, tweeted a photo captioned, “Painter at work. Villa wearing a new look for the incoming President.”
Painter at work. Villa wearing a new look for the incoming President. pic.twitter.com/OYzHokp3B0
— Garba Shehu (@GarShehu) May 5, 2023
An insider source informed us that, like his predecessors, President Tinubu was expected to decide on the type of furniture to be installed in his official residence.
While former President Buhari moved into his new residence nearly three weeks after his inauguration, the same cannot be expected of President Tinubu, who moved in eight years after a previous occupier.
A senior source at the State House explained, “These things are relative. It is not fixed at all. Goodluck Jonathan stayed for five years, and Buhari stayed for eight years. So, the level of repairs needed this time must have increased. There may be major alterations they are trying to do.”
Another source commented on individual preferences, stating President Tinubu moved into office when he assumed power.
Despite the President’s delay in moving in, the Aso Rock Chapel holds weekly meetings. However, the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, has not attended any worship sessions.
Mrs Tinubu clarified in a statement that President Tinubu had not yet appointed a chaplain for the Aso Villa Chapel following the departure of the former Chaplain, Seyi Malomo.
She dismissed social media claims that the Aso Villa Chapel had been shut down, stating, “Our attention has been drawn to a story on social media about the purported closure of the Aso Rock Chapel by the First Lady; we wish to state categorically that this is a fabrication and a false representation of the true situation.”
The former chaplain could not be reached for comment when filing this report.
