May 29: Presidential Inaugural Committee sends invitation letter to Peter Obi for Tinubu’s inauguration

Patrick OdeyApril 26, 2023

3 minutes read

As Nigeria approaches May 29, 2023, when Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress will be sworn in as President, the Presidential Inaugural Committee has invited Peter Obi to the event.

SaharaReporters on Tuesday sighted the invitation letter for Obi of the Labour Party, who came third in the presidential election of February 25 behind Tinubu and Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party.

According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, Tinubu secured 8,794,726 votes, Atiku had 6,984,520, and Obi polled 6,101,533 votes.

It was observed that Obi was assigned Seat No. 101 at the May 29 event as stated on the invite which also reads ‘Handle with care’.

“The Presidential Inaugural Committee is honoured to announce the inauguration of Bola A, Tinubu as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and Kashim Shettima M. as Vice President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria on Monday, the twenty-ninth May two thousand and twenty-three,” the invite reads.

Meanwhile, in March, Obi and the Labour Party filed a petition at the presidential election tribunal challenging Tinubu’s victory in the poll. Advertisement

In the petition, Obi asks the tribunal to direct INEC to present him with a certificate of return as the duly elected President of Nigeria instead of Tinubu.

Listed as Respondents are INEC, Tinubu, Shettima, and the APC.

Obi through his counsel, Livy Ozoukwu told the tribunal that Tinubu was not qualified to contest the election and “was not duly elected by majority of the lawful votes cast at the time of the election”.

Part of the petition reads, “That it be determined that the 2nd respondent (Tinubu) having failed to score one-quarter of the votes cast at the presidential election in the federal capital territory, Abuja was not entitled to be declared and returned as the winner of the presidential election held on 25 February 2023.

“That it be determined that on the basis of the remaining votes (after discountenancing the votes credited to the 2nd respondent) the 1st petitioner scored a majority of the lawful votes cast at the election and had not less than 25% of the votes cast in each of at least 2/3 of the states of the federation, and the federal capital territory, Abuja and satisfied the constitutional requirements to be declared the winner of the 25th February 2023 Presidential election.”

The petitioners (Obi and LP) asked the tribunal to cancel the election and compel the “1st respondent (INEC) to conduct a fresh election at which the 2nd respondent (Tinubu), 3rd respondent (Shettima) and 4th respondent (APC) shall not participate”.

Last Thursday, SaharaReporters exclusively reported that Tinubu had announced the addition of 13 members to the Presidential Inaugural Committee.

Tinubu, in a letter to the Secretary to the Government of Federation, Mr. Boss Mustapha, obtained by SaharaReporters, announced a former Senator representing Borno North and current National Deputy Chairman (North) of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Abubakar Kyari as the Coordinator and Director of Finance and Budget of the Committee.

The Executive Director (Business Development) at the Nigeria Export-Import (NEXIM) Bank, Hon. Stella Okotete will serve as the head of Secretariat, Planning and Monitoring while Mr. Makinde Araoye, an ex-APC governorship aspirant from Ekiti State will serve as the Director of venue, parades and swearing-in for the week-long event.

The APC Presidential Campaign Spokesperson, Mr. Bayo Onanuga will serve as Head of Media and Publicity, while the Cross Rivers State Commissioner for Health and current National Women Leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr. Betta Edu will coordinate the medical team for the inauguration committee.

A retired military chief and younger brother of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, Col. Abdulazeez Yar’Adua will act as the head of the Security and Ceremonial Parade for the inauguration with Barr. Zainab Buba Marwa, the wife of former Lagos State Military Governor and current Director General of Nigeria’s Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, Gen. Buba Marwa coordinating the pre-inauguration dinner and gala night for the committee.

Other members of the committee include Samira Saddik (Children’s Day), Abuh Andrew Abuh (Accommodation), Dr. Danladi Bako (Inaugural Lecture), Hajiya Hadiza Mohammed Kabir (Transportation and Logistics), Donald Wokoma (Protocol and Invitation), Bishop Adegbite (Church Service) and Imam Faud (Jumat Service).

The President-elect Tinubu initially forwarded the names of Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State and former Lagos State Commissioner for Finance, Mr. Wale Edun to Boss Mustapha to be included as his representatives in the Transition Committee.