About 65 world leaders, including Heads of State, have been invited to grace the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu, who will be sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria on May 29.

Also expected at the nation’s seventh transition ceremony are past presidents, diplomats, heads of international organisations and prominent Nigerians and representatives of foreign governments and agencies.

The inauguration programmes will begin on Thursday with the  investiture of Tinubu with  the  Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and  the Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, as the Grand Commander of Order of the Niger.

A director in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs confirmed to The PUNCH on Thursday that several African leaders had indicated interest in attending the inauguration ceremony which would take place at Eagle Square, Abuja.

“We have 54 countries in Africa and most of them have been invited to the inauguration; so, we don’t expect less than 65 world leaders from Africa, Europe and America at the event,’’ said the director, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the issue.

Representatives of Nigeria’s traditional allies such as the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel, Turkey and several others are expected at the high-profile event.

Addressing journalists in Abuja on Thursday as activities for the transition of power to the incoming administration began, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Boss Mustapha, disclosed that scores of world leaders would attend the event.

The preparation for the swearing-in of the former Lagos State governor is gathering steam as the battle to nullify his election victory by the standard bearer of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi continues at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.

On Thursday, the PEPC adjourned further proceedings in Atiku’s petition till Friday (today) to continue further pre-hearing sessions as well as to hear pending applications that were filed by the respondents.

The Justice Haruna Tsammani-led panel said the court would decide on the number of witnesses that would be allowed for each of the parties, the time to be allocated to them, as well as the time to be allowed for cross-examination.

He urged the parties to put heads together and agree on further modalities to be adopted.

The court had similarly adjourned Obi’s petition till today following the failure of the parties to harmonise the documents germane to their pleadings.

But unveiling the inauguration programmes, Mustapha, who doubles as the Chairman of the  Presidential Transition Council, disclosed that Tinubu and the Vice President-elect, Kashim Shettima would be honoured with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic and Grand Commander of Order of the Niger, respectively, on May 25.

Reeling out the activities for the event, he further disclosed that transition documents would be handed over to Tinubu and Shettima on the same day.

At the resumed hearing on Thursday, Ekwo adjourned the matter after Nwachukwu addressed the court on the issue of locus standi, jurisdiction and whether the matter is not already before the presidential election petition court.

In his argument, the counsel told the court that it had jurisdiction to hear the matter since the plaintiffs are not parties to the petition currently before the presidential election petition court.

In a related development, Ali Ali, the Coordinator of the Peace and Stability Initiative, said the group had uncovered plans by local and foreign interests to thwart the May 29 inauguration of the new administration.

In a statement on Thursday, Ali said foreign agents collaborating with local organisations masquerading as civil society groups are at the centre of the plot.

He said the plans had been in the works since Tinubu was announced as the president-elect on March 1.

“These agents of destabilisation have not relented in their evil plots even though we are just a few days away from the May 29, 2023 inauguration of a new central government that will be led by the President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” the statement read.

The Punch