The United States of America has unveiled a powerful delegation to represent President Joe Biden and the country at the inauguration of Nigeria’s 16th President, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, on May 29.
The US President, Joe Biden, announced this development in a statement, enlisting nine prominent persons to be part of his delegation to represent him at the swearing-in ceremony which will also be attended by other Heads of States and international dignitaries.
According to the statement, that the delegation would be led by the Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge, who would be joined by David Greene, a.i. chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Abuja, Sydney Kamlager-Dove, a Democratic Representative from California, and Marisa Lago, the US Department of Commerce’s Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade.
Also listed as team members are Michael E. Langley, head of the US Africa Command, Enoh T. Ebong, director of the US Trade and Development Agency, Mary Catherine Phee, assistant secretary of state for African affairs at the US Department of State, and Judd Devermont, senior director for African affairs at the National Security Council and special assistant to the president for national security.
The US delegates will be joining other representatives of Nigeria’s allies: the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel, Turkey and others that have been invited to the notable event.
Tinubu will be sworn-in as the president at Eagle Square in Abuja, as the event will be the country’s seventh transition between past presidents and the outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari.
The United States has continued to deepen its relationship with Nigeria and the incoming President despite a recent loss of its Embassy staff in Anambra state recently. It was after it that the Secretary of State, Anthony had a 20-minute phone conversation with the President-elect and followed by this powerful delegation despite objections raised by other contenders in the presidential race.
A week-long activities have been lined up by presidential transition committee for the inauguration ceremony which will commence on Thursday when Asiwaju Tinubu and his running mate Kashim Shettima will receive the highest national honours’ awards of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and the Grand Commander of Order of the Niger respectively
Also, the Committee has stated that the former president of Kenya, Kenyatta Uhuru, will deliver the inaugural lecture themed ‘Deepening Democracy for Integration and Development’ on May, 27th.
Other activities lined up in the “the Regimental Dinner in honour of the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces at the Officers Mess on May 23, the Valedictory Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on May 24, Meeting Investiture of the President-Elect and Vice- President-Elect with the National Honors of Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic (GCFR) and Grand Commander of Order of the Niger (GCON) respectively and Handover of Transition Documents on May 25, Public Lecture and Jumaat Prayer at the National Mosque on May 26, Children’s Day Parade and Children’s Party on May, 27 Inter-denominational Church Service at the National Christian Centre, Abuja, on May 28 and Inauguration Parade/Swearing-In Post Inauguration Luncheon on May 29.”
