22nd April, 2015
Ayorinde Oluokun/Abuja
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.