The National Council of State, NCS, on Tuesday ratified the transition timetable for the handing over of government by President Goodluck Jonathan to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.
Similarly, the Council has approved the proposal by the transition committee to separate the inauguration ceremony from handing over of official documents to the incoming administration.
Consequently, President Jonathan would submit his handover notes to General Buhari on the 28 of May, while the official inauguration of the new government will take place on May 29.
These were disclosed by Governors Babangida Aliyu (Niger) and Gabriel Suswam (Benue), while briefing Journalists on the resolutions of the Council at the State, Abuja.
The separation of the two events beginning from the upcoming handover, the Governors explained, would be established as a template to be followed in future transitions, regardless of the party that may win elections.
The arrangement, when it was first suggested, it would be recalled, generated controversy with the All Progressives Congress out rightly rejecting it.
But Governor Aliyu said, “Officially, the government will be handed over on the 28th of May, the inauguration on the 29th. It is only a technicality.
“One is inauguration, the formality of the new president taking over. Technically, the 29th is for the man taking over.
“For handing over documents, you don’t wait till that 29th because after the inauguration the transition committee may continue.
“If you recall, when President Jonathan came on board, he inaugurated the Gen. Danjuma’s committee to look at all the documents that were handed over to them and make recommendations.
“So it’s a continuous thing. The handing over of documents from the outgoing President to the incoming President or to the President-elect will take place on the 28th and the inauguration on the 29”, he said.
Governor Suswam, on his part said, “Just to add that 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 is from the same party to the same party or from one party to another 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.”
The handing over programme, according to Aliyu, will commence on May 22nd with Juma’at prayers and will be followed with church service on the 24th, while 28th will be the handing over as well as dinner and 29th inauguration, luncheon and gala night.
His words, “On the 28th, President Jonathan will conduct Gen. Buhari and the Vice President-elect, Prof. Yemi Osibanjo round the Villa,”
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