President Buhari died today in London at about 4.30 pm, following a prolonged illness.

President Tinubu has spoken with Mrs Aishat Buhari, the former President’s widow and offered his deep condolences.

President Tinubu has also ordered Vice President Kashim Shettima to proceed to the United Kingdom to accompany President Muhammadu Buhari’s body back to Nigeria.

Former President Buhari was twice elected Nigeria’s President in 2015 and 2023.

He also served as military head of state between January 1984 and August 1985.

President Tinubu has ordered flags at half-staff as a mark of respect for the departed leader.

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Mustapha, who served in Buhari’s administration, said the former president had already built a formidable and loyal support base long before the formation of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking at the book launch by Garba Shehu, a former aide to Buhari, he noted that Buhari commanded a consistent voter base of nearly 12 million people, mainly from the North, which existed independently of Tinubu’s political structure.

“President Buhari was a political force on his own. His supporters were deeply rooted and consistent even before the APC came into existence,” Mustapha stated, dismissing Tinubu’s repeated claims—made prominently during his 2022 campaign—that he “made Buhari president.”

Interestingly, Boss Mustapha is among the northern political figures reportedly listed as a potential vice presidential candidate by Tinubu before he eventually settled for Kashim Shettima. His growing criticism of the current administration has therefore sparked speculation about deeper fractures within the ruling party.

Buhari’s allies and appointees are said to be aligning with a new opposition front, which has reportedly adopted the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its platform for the 2027 general elections.

The post Boss Mustapha Denies Tinubu’s Role in Buhari’s 2015 Victory appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

Nwokocha’s motion was seconded by his colleague from Abia-South Senatorial District, Enyinnaya Abaribe.

Senate President, Godswill Akpabio thereafter subjected the motion to a voice vote but the lawmakers were divided on the matter.

The red chamber immediately erupted into a rowdy session. Amid heated argument between the lawmakers, Akpabio rose to his feet, announcing that the Senate will enter a closed session.

Nwokocha had accused Keyamo of disrespecting the 9th National Assembly and accusing the last Assembly of being corrupt.

Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), was a former Minister of State for Labour and Productivity under the then administration of ex-President Muhammadu Buhari.

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FAREWELL SPEECH BY HIS EXCELLENCY, MUHAMMADU BUHARI, PRESIDENT AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF, FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA.

My fellow Nigerian brothers, sisters and friends of Nigeria.

2. I address you today, in my last assignment as a democratically elected President of our great and well-endowed nation, with a deep sense of gratitude to God, a great deal of appreciation to the Nigerian people and a modest sense of fulfilment.

3. Today we mark and celebrate another peaceful transition of power from one elected government to another in our steady march to improve and sustain Nigeria’s democracy.

4. This year we witnessed the most keenly contested Presidential Elections since the first Republic and this demonstrates that our democracy is getting better and more entrenched with each election.

5. We must as a nation improve and sustain gains we make in the electoral process, on an incremental basis for Nigeria to take its rightful place among Nations.

6. Our democracy provides for, allows and encourages seeking redress for perceived injustices, enabling some candidates and political parties that did not agree with the results to go to court.

7. Irrespective of the outcome of the various cases, I urge all parties involved to accept the decision of our courts and join hands to build a better Nigeria.

8. I salute the doggedness and resilience of all the Presidential Candidates and their political parties for believing in our judicial system by taking their grievances with the election results to court.

9. In the course of the campaigns, we had argued and disagreed on how to make Nigeria better but we never disagreed or had any doubts that Nigeria has to be better.

10. As your President, I call on all of us to bring to bear the strength of our individualism, the power of our unity, the convictions of our beliefs to make Nigeria work better and together with one spirit and one purpose.

11. To my brother, friend and fellow worker in the political terrain for the past ten years – Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu -, I congratulate you on the realisation of your dream, which was propelled by a burning passion to put Nigeria amongst the leading nations of the world.

12. You have indeed worked for this day and God has crowned your efforts. I have no doubt that your passion for excellence, reliance on competence, fairness in relationships, commitment to equity, loyalty to the country and desire for Nigeria to be globally relevant would come through for you, under God’s guidance, as you lead our country to levels higher that I am leaving.

13. You are the best candidate among all the contestants and Nigerians have chosen well.

14. The last eight years have been an exciting experience in my desire and commitment to see a Nigeria in which public goods and services are available, and accessible within a united, peaceful and secure nation.

15. Fellow Nigerians, on the strength of your overwhelming support for me and my political party, I started this journey with a great deal of promise and expectation from you. I never intended to be just politically correct but to do the correct things that will make meaningful impact on the lives of the common Nigerian.

16. This high expectation was not misplaced because, like the ordinary Nigerian, I had grown tired of watching the country progressively moving away from the path of correctness.

17. To ensure that our democracy remains resilient and our elected representatives remain accountable to the people, I am leaving behind an electoral process which guarantees that votes count, results are credible, elections are fair and transparent and the influence of money in politics reduced to the barest minimum. And Nigerians can elect leaders of their choice.

18. We are already seeing the outcome of this process as it provided an even playing field where persons without any political God-Father or access to money defeated other well-resourced candidates.

19. The Nigerian economy has become more resilient due to the various strategies put in place to ensure that our economy remained afloat during cases of global economic downturns.

20. You would all recall the supply chain disruptions and economic downturn that the world witnessed between 2020 and 2022 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The deftness of our response to the pandemic still remains a global best practice.

21. Furthermore, we increased the ability of the poor and rural Nigerians to earn a living, provided more food for millions in our villages and gave our women opportunities to earn a living.

22. Young men and women in urban centres were also supported to put their skills into productive use. Our administration also provided an enabling environment for the private sector to engage in businesses for which their return on investments is guaranteed.

23. The private sector proved a strong partner in our drive to build a resilient and sustainable economy as evidenced by the growing number of turn-key projects in various sectors of the economy.

24. In the course of revamping the economy, we made some difficult choices, most of which yielded the desired results. Some of the measures led to temporary pain and suffering for which I sincerely apologised to my fellow countrymen, but the measures were taken for the over-all good of the country.

25. Mindful of the need to ensure adequate infrastructure to drive economic growth, we completed age-long projects and processes notably amongst which are the Petroleum Industry Act, completion of some power projects, completion of the second Niger bridge and various important roads linking cities and states.

26. Our battle to ensure that all Nigerians live in a safe and secure environment has achieved considerable results. As I complete my term in office, we have been able to reduce the incidences of banditry, terrorism, armed robbery and other criminal activities considerably.

27. To sustain the gains made so far, I call on all Nigerians to be more vigilant and support the security agencies by ensuring that our values defined by being your brothers’ keeper govern our actions.

28. Up-till now, I still grieve for our children still in captivity, mourn with parents, friends and relatives of all those that lost loved ones in the days of the senseless brigandage and carnage. For all those under unlawful captivity our Security Agencies are working round the clock to secure their release unharmed.

29. Fellow Nigerians, you know how dear the desire in my heart is, to rid the country of corrupt practices that had consistently diminished our efforts to be a great country.

30. I did pursue this commitment relentlessly, in spite of the expected push back. I am happy that considerable progress had been made in repatriating huge sums of money back to the country and also taken over properties illegally acquired from our common wealth.

31. To improve service delivery, we began the implementation of a number of reforms aimed at producing an Efficient, Productive, Incorruptible and Citizen-oriented (EPIC) Federal Civil Service and the results are beginning to show.

32. On the international scene, Nigeria’s influence continues to grow as exemplified by notable Nigerians occupying headship and leadership positions in renowned global bodies.

33. Our democracy is built on and continues to thrive on the principles of separation of powers. The leadership and members of the National Assembly deserve my appreciation for their patriotism which did not detract from their roles as a check to the executive arm.

34. I also want to use this opportunity to express my appreciation to a good number of Nigerians who provided their support and encouragement to help me navigate the exciting journey in moving Nigeria forward.

35. I cannot and will not forget the millions who prayed for me during my illness in my first term of office. I am constantly praying for you and for Nigeria to thrive in peace.

36. As I retire home to Daura, Katsina State, I feel fulfilled that we have started the Nigeria Re-Birth by taking the initial critical steps and I am convinced the in-coming administration will quicken the pace of this walk to see a Nigeria that fulfils its destiny to be a great nation.

37. I am confident that I am leaving office with Nigeria better in 2023 than in 2015.

38. I thank you all. And may God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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Buhari and Tinubu arrived at the Press Gallery at around 1:18 pm shortly after observing the Jummah Prayers at the Aso Villa Mosque.

“This is the Gallery where you will be meeting members of the press,” Buhari told Tinubu as both men emerged from the waiting room of the Aso Chambers.

This comes barely 24 hours after the President conferred upon Tinubu the National Honour of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger on Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima, at the State House Banquet Hall.

On Thursday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had taken Shettima on a tour of the VP Wing of the State House.

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In November 2018, the President first named Dabiri-Erewa as NIDCOM chair. She was the Senior Special Adviser to the President on Foreign Affairs and Diaspora before the appointment.

Dabiri-Erewa was also a member of the House of Representatives representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency in Lagos from 2003-2015. While she was at the House of Representatives, Dabiri-Erewa chaired of the House Committee on Diaspora Affairs.

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The President gave the approval after meeting with some members of the Federal Executive Council and the Chairman of the National Population Commission, Nasir Isa-Kwarra, and his team at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Friday, April 28, 2023.

This is contained in a press statement signed by the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, and released Saturday morning.

“In arriving at the decision to postpone the census,” the statement says, “the meeting reiterated the critical need for the conduct of a Population and Housing Census, 17 years after the last census, to collect up-to-date data that will drive the developmental goals of the country and improve the living standard of the Nigerian people.”

“The President noted that with the completion of the Enumeration Area Demarcation of the country, conduct of first and second pre-tests, the recruitment and training of ad hoc workers, procurement of Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and ICT infrastructures, appreciable progress has been made in the implementation of the 2023 Population and Housing Census.

“He also commended the methodology being put in place by the Commission to conduct accurate and reliable Census, especially the massive deployment of technology that is capable of delivering world class Census and laying a sustainable basis for future censuses.”

The post FG Postpones 2023 Census Says Tinubu To Determine New Date appeared first on Daily Dates Nigeria.

See pictures below.

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The 2023 Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade held at the Eagles Square in the heart of the capital city Abuja witnessed the retiring and replacing of 53 unit colours and the issuance of 28 new ones.

The colours are presented to Combat and combat support units or Regiments are newly established and operationalised units whose colours are damaged, old or worn out.

The proceedings of the event began with the arrival of the Reviewing Officer and Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, President Muhammadu Buhari where 305 officers and 121 soldiers had mounted Guards and ready for inspection.

This was followed by the colourful musical display and presentation by the Nigerian Army band to entertain the dignitaries present at the event, followed by the Trooping of the old National and unit Regimental colours for the last time before they were retired by Unit’s Regimental Sergent majors.

The old Regimental colours were collected from the senior non-commission officers, passed through the ranks in a slow match and required all present to stand while the personnel saluted in respect to the service rendered by the retiring flags. This is symbolic of a uniform that has served for a long term, and a unit is disbanded or worn and torn out are retired and handed to the Quarter Master before they marched out of the parade ground (ceremonial retreat) for onward keep in the Nigerian Army Museum.

Interlude salute

Following the retreating of the old flag, the Quarter Master Marched forward to set up new colours that are presented to the units whose colours had worn out or retired as well as the new units added.

The Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade is the only parade where regimental Sergeant majors are allowed to draw their swords. Coincidentally, the 82 Battalion which was once commanded by President Muhammadu Buhari was among the units inspected at the parade and colour presentation ceremony by the President.

The occasion of the 2023 Nigerian Army Trooping and Presentation of Colours Parade was graced by former heads of state, members of the Federal Executive Council, members of the diplomatic Corps, Senior officers of the Nigerian Armed Forces, the Nigerian Army Officers Wives Association, the media and members of the public.

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They include Adam Mahmud Kambari (Borno State), Esuabana Nko Asanye (Cross River), Lamuwa Adamu Ibrahim (Gombe State), Yakubu Adam Kofar-Mata (Kano State), Oloruntola Olufemi Micheal (Ogun State) and Richard Pheelangwah (Taraba State).

Head of Civil Service of the Federation, Folashade Yemi-Esan urged the new Permanent Secretaries to give their best in the discharge of their duties to advance the efficiency of the country’s civil service.

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