The mantle of leadership now falls on Bola Tinubu who was declared the winner of the presidential election held on Saturday, February 25, 2023.
As expected, the past week, which was Buhari’s final full week in office as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces, was a busy one.
Below is a recap of how the outgoing President spent his last seven days in office.
Monday, May 22, 2023: President Buhari commissioned the Dangote refinery, built by Alhaji Aliko Dangote, the president of Dangote Group and Africa’s richest man, in Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos State. The refinery is adjudged to be Africa’s biggest oil refinery and the world’s biggest single-train facility because it can produce about 650,000 barrels of petroleum products a day.
The President, represented by Muazu Jaji Sambo, the minister of transportation, also commissioned Chinese-built West Africa’s first railway assembly plant, the Kajola Wagon Assembly Plant in Ogun State.
Tuesday, May 23, 2023: President Buhari commissioned eight infrastructure projects completed by the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the country, including the long-awaited Second Niger Bridge, which was named the Muhammadu Buhari Bridge; three federal secretariat complexes in Anambra, Bayelsa and Zamfara: Dr Goodluck Ebele Jonathan Federal Secretariat, Yenagoa, Bayelsa; Ebele Okeke Federal Secretariat, Awka, Anambra and Malam Yahaya Gusau Federal Secretariat, Gusau, Zamfara.
Others include the Ikom Bridge in Cross River State; the Loko-Oweto Bridge across River Benue which links Benue and Nasarawa States; the 200km Kaduna-Zaria-Kano section of the Abuja-Kano Highway, and the new corporate headquarters of the Nigeria Customs Service in Abuja.
On Tuesday night, the President attended the regimental dinner organised in his honour by the Nigerian Armed Forces. The dinner was part of the events for the presidential transition.
Wednesday, May 24, 2023: The last Federal Executive Council, FEC, meeting of President Buhari’s administration was held on Wednesday. The President presided over the valedictory FEC meeting at the FEC chambers, Presidential Villa and afterwards had a photo shoot with the Council members.
President Buhari also addressed the entire staff of the State House. He appreciated them for their support and loyalty throughout his eight-year administration.
Thursday, May 25, 2023: As part of the activities for the presidential transition, President Buhari conferred the national honours of Grand Commander of the Federal Republic, GCFR, and Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger, GCON, on the president-elect, Bola Tinubu and vice-president-elect, Kashim Shettima, respectively.
He also handed over the baton of service alongside the transition documents to Tinubu. The investiture took place at the State House Conference Centre.
The National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies, Abuja was commissioned by the President on this day.
Friday, May 26, 2023: The outgoing President attended the Juma’at Prayer at the State House mosque alongside his successor, Tinubu. At the end of this, President Buhari took the President-elect on a tour of the Presidential Villa.
The President commissioned the new international terminal building of the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport, Kano; the 3000-capacity Janguza Custodial Center, Kano; the Nigerian Navy Logistics College, Dawakin Tofa, Kano.
Other projects commissioned include the Ebonyi State International Airport named Muhammadu Buhari International Airport; the 199km Ebonyi Ring Road project and the procurement of aircraft, equipment and buildings at the College of Aviation Technology Zaria, Kaduna state.
President Buhari also commissioned the Smart Resettlement Cities and the Digital Academy in four states and unveiled the model of the Nigeria Humanitarian Hub.
Furthermore, he participated in the official launch of a book that chronicles his achievements in office. The book, authored by the APC/MBO Support Group is titled, “A Promise Kept: Compendium of Significant Achievements of President Muhammadu Buhari Administration.”
President Buhari received his Asset Declaration Form from the Chairman of the Code of Conduct Bureau in the State House. He has urged all outgoing political holders to collect theirs and fill it as stipulated by the law.
Saturday, May 27, 2023: An inaugural lecture was held at the International Conference Centre and the President was in attendance while the President-elect, who was conspicuously absent, was ably represented by his Vice-president-elect.
The lecture, delivered by the former President of Kenya, His Excellency, Uhuru Kenyatta, was titled: ‘Deepening Democracy for Integration and Development’.
In commemoration of this year’s Children’s Day President Muhammadu Buhari hosted a children’s party at the State House and unveiled a comic: ‘How to Make Nigeria Great.’ During the unveiling, the President said Nigerian children must prepare to be good future leaders and followers as no foreigner will rule the country for them.
Sunday, May 28, 2023: To mark his last day in office, President Buhari made a farewell broadcast to the nation at 7:00 a.m.
The President assented to the bill seeking to create a commission to cater for Almajiri and out-of-school children to tackle the menace of illiteracy, and prevent youth poverty, delinquency and destitution in the country by providing skills acquisition and entrepreneurship programmes development for children and teenagers.
On Sunday night, he joined other prominent personalities at the State House Conference Centre for an inauguration dinner/gala night ahead of today’s grand event: the swearing-in of the President-elect.
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