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Akinwande Soji-Ojo
The Federal Government has assured Nigerians that the transition of power from the President Muhammadu Buhari to the president-elect, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, would be smooth and peaceful.
Addressing journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, the Secretary to the Government of the Federal and Chairman of the Transition Committee, Boss Mustapha, said the refurbishment of offices for the president-elect and vice-president-elect had been completed.
He stressed that litigation would not stop the hand-over ceremony from taking place.
“The committee has been active and the refurbishment of offices for the president-elect and vice president-elect has been completed.
“The facility at the Defence House is ready. Security personnel of the Department of State Services and the Nigeria Police Force have also been deployed to the president-elect and vice president-elect.
“Protocol officers have also been assigned to both the president-elect and vice president-elect from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the National Intelligence Agency.
“The transition process is on course and all efforts are being made to ensure that it is smooth. On May 29, there would be a peaceful formal transfer of power to the new president,” he said.
Mustapha noted that the security sub-committee had been saddled with the responsibility to ensure no one truncates the hand-over ceremony.
“All litigation, whether resolved or not, will not in any way stop the process. The president is not spending a day extra in office. The security committee has the responsibility to ensure that nothing happens to truncate the transition process. Nigerians are very law-abiding people.
“Whoever has lost an election, there are provided avenues for those people to make whatever legal inquiry they want to make but the process would continue unabated. We would not create another constitutional crisis. On May 29, the hand-over will take place,” the SGF added.
As part of the transition process, Mustapha disclosed that four members of the president-elect’s team would be joining the FG delegation to the Spring meeting of the World Bank.
He added that the president-elect has nominated Wale Edun and the governor of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu to be part of the transition committee.