President Jonathan Will Handover On 29 May – FG

The Federal government on
Wednesday clarified that President
Goodluck Jonathan will hand over
power to General Muhammad
Buhari, Nigeria President elect on
29 May and not 28 May as
previously reported.

Senator Patricia Akwashiki, the
Minister of Information told
journalists after today’s meeting of
Federal Executive Council that
President Jonathan will remain
Nigeria’s President till 29 May.
Akwashiki said she was misquoted
in the statement attributed to her
last week that President Jonathan
will hand over power on 28 May.
There has been controversies since
the publication of the story that the
President will hand over power a
day earlier than usual.

The opposition All Progressives
Congress is said to be
uncomfortable with the May 28
handover date proposed by the out-
going administration.
There have been reports that the
Presisent thee President-elect, Gen.
Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) are set
to clash over a proposal by the
Jonathan team to hand over the
mantle of leadership to Buhari on
May the 28th, instead of the 29th.
Some lawyers had also said
handing over government to Buhari
on 28 May may result in a vacuum
on the governance of the country
as constitionally, the tenure of the

President will end on the 29th.
Akwashiki, had said last week that
President Jonathan would perform
the handover ceremony at a dinner
on May 28.

This is despite the fact that since
the return of democracy in 1999,
the traditional date for the
handover of power has been May
29, which is also observed as
Democracy Day.