NEWS
Boss Mustapha Reveals Activities For Tinubu’s May 29 Swearing-In Ceremony
Boss Mustapha, Chairman of the Presidential Transition Council, has unveiled the comprehensive lineup of activities for the swearing-in ceremony of Bola Tinubu as Nigeria’s President on May 29.
The inauguration proceedings are scheduled to commence on Thursday, starting with the official conferment of the Grand Commander of the Order of the Federal Republic to Bola Tinubu, and the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger to the Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima.
A director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that numerous African leaders have expressed their intention to attend the inauguration ceremony, which is set to be held at Eagle Square in Abuja.
According to an anonymous director from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, invitations have been extended to all 54 African countries for the inauguration.
The director further stated that they anticipate the presence of at least 65 world leaders from Africa, Europe, and America at the event. However, the director requested anonymity as they are not authorized to speak on the matter.
He said “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,’’
The upcoming high-profile event is expected to be attended by representatives from Nigeria’s traditional allies, including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel, Turkey, and several other countries.
Boss Mustapha, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, announced during a press briefing in Abuja that numerous world leaders will participate in the event as activities for the transition of power to the incoming administration have commenced.
As the inauguration of former Lagos State governor Bola Tinubu approaches, preparations for the event are intensifying.
Meanwhile, the legal battle challenging Tinubu’s election victory, initiated by the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate Atiku Abubakar and the Labour Party’s candidate Peter Obi, is ongoing at the Presidential Election Petitions Court.
On Thursday, the court adjourned further proceedings in Atiku’s petition until Friday (today) to continue pre-hearing sessions and address pending applications submitted by the respondents.
The panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani has stated that the court will determine the number of witnesses allowed for each party, allocate time for their presentations, and set time limits for cross-examination.
The panel encouraged the parties involved to collaborate and reach an agreement on the additional procedures to be followed.
In a similar vein, the court adjourned Peter Obi’s petition until today due to the parties’ inability to reconcile the relevant documents related to their claims.
Mustapha went on to outline the activities for the event, stating that transition documents would be officially handed over to Tinubu and Shettima on the same day.
In addition, Mustapha announced that the former president of Kenya, Uhuru Kenyatta, has been designated to deliver the inauguration lecture.
The lecture, titled “Deepening Democracy for Integration and Development,” is scheduled to take place on May 27.
The series of activities surrounding the inauguration also includes a Regimental Dinner honoring the Commander-in-Chief at the Armed Forces Officers Mess on May 23, a Valedictory Federal Executive Council Meeting at the Council Chambers in the Presidential Villa on May 24, a Public Lecture and Juma’at prayer at the National Mosque on May 26, a Children’s Day Parade and Party on May 27, and an Inter-denominational Church Service at the National Christian Centre on May 28.
Furthermore, an Inauguration Dinner/Gala Night is scheduled to be held at the State House Conference Centre on May 28. The main event, the inauguration and swearing-in of the President-elect and Vice President-elect, will occur on May 29.
The occasion will be accompanied by an inauguration parade taking place at the Eagle Square.
Following the inauguration ceremony, a post-inauguration luncheon exclusively for the President, fellow Presidents, Heads of Government, and distinguished guests will be held at the State House Banquet Hall.
The Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) disclosed that numerous world leaders have expressed their interest in attending the event.
He said “So far, invitations have been sent to Presidents and Heads of Government as well as Heads of international organisations. We are also glad to report that many of these invitees have confirmed attendance in person.
But when asked about the identities of the leaders, the SGF said, “Diplomatic privilege does not allow us to announce the number of people coming. If you know what is happening globally, we cannot tell you who is coming. We leave that to their embassies to make it public.”
Mustapha insisted that the handover would hold despite the court cases seeking the cancellation of the ceremony.
The transition committee chairman noted, “The inauguration would not be stopped pending the determination of the cases in court. This is not the first time we have had elections. In my political life, I have seen different transitions.
‘’From Shagari’s period to Buhari, the inauguration went on despite court cases. In 2003, Buhari spent months at the tribunal up till the Supreme Court. He repeated the process three times. The only election that was not litigated was in 2015 when Jonathan conceded defeat. With or without litigation, the handover will be held on May 29. The Constitution and Electoral Act are clear on this.”
‘’I am delighted to inform you that May 29, 2023, will mark the seventh consecutive democratic transition of power in Nigeria and on that day, we shall all be ushering in the 16th President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
According to him, the transition council interfaced and learnt from the transition processes practised in the United States of America and Kenya, expressing hope that Nigeria would have legislation on presidential transition soon.
Mustapha said, “In furtherance of discharging its functions, the PTC also interfaced with leading democratic nations including the United States of America and the Republic of Kenya, as part of its learning efforts to pick up useful lessons in line with international best practices.
“It is important to also state that these countries have specific legislations on Presidential Transition, some of which date back to 1963. It is our expectation that specific legislation on presidential transition in Nigeria would be passed soon.”
Boss Mustapha reassured that comprehensive measures have been implemented to ensure the security and safety of all individuals during the inauguration period.
The Chairman of the Security, Facilities, and Intelligence Committee, and National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, further stated that a combination of covert and overt operations has been arranged to secure the event venues and hotels designated for guest accommodations.
Monguno emphasized that they do not anticipate any attacks during the events, but issued a warning to individuals without valid reasons to stay away from the event venues.
He said, “Our primary function is to provide both overt and covert security cover for all the venues where the stated activities would be held, including the hotels where guests would be staying. The span of our work is before, during, and after the inauguration.
‘’My advice is that if you have no business at the venue, you need not be there. The most important message I would like to pass across to you is that we do not envisage anything negative. Everybody should be calm, especially those coming from other countries.” he added.
The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has explained why it directed capital market operators to immediately refund funds collected from investors in connection with a purported Initial Public Offering (IPO) by Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE.
In a public notice issued on Tuesday, the Commission revealed that it had observed the circulation of advertisements, flyers, digital banners, and electronic messages across social media and investment platforms inviting members of the public to invest in the refinery through an alleged IPO.
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According to the SEC, the purported offer has not received regulatory approval, as the Commission has neither received nor approved any application from Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE for a public offering.
The regulator expressed concern that some registered capital market operators were actively promoting the unapproved offer and soliciting subscriptions from prospective investors.
Explaining the reason for its directive, the SEC stated that the campaign was misleading and amounted to market manipulation capable of creating false expectations among investors and undermining confidence in Nigeria’s capital market.
The Commission noted that invitations encouraging members of the public to open accounts, pre-fund investments, or reserve guaranteed share allocations for the alleged IPO violate provisions of the Investments and Securities Act as well as existing market regulations.
As a result, the SEC ordered all registered operators, including stockbrokers and promoters of digital investment platforms, to immediately cease all advertising and promotional activities relating to the purported offer.
The Commission further directed operators to remove all related promotional materials from their websites, social media pages, and other communication channels within 24 hours.
In addition, firms were instructed to stop accepting deposits, investment commitments, account registrations, or expressions of interest linked to the alleged public offering.
To protect investors from potential losses, the SEC ordered any operator that had already collected funds in connection with the purported IPO to refund such monies within 24 hours.
The regulator warned that any operator that fails to comply with the directive risks facing sanctions under the Investments and Securities Act 2025 and the SEC Rules and Regulations.
The Commission also advised Nigerians to rely only on information released through approved regulatory channels and to ignore unofficial promotional campaigns or investment solicitations concerning the refinery.
SEC added that if Dangote Petroleum Refinery & Petrochemicals FZE eventually decides to proceed with a public offering and secures regulatory approval, an authorised prospectus will be published in line with the law.
The directive comes amid reports that the Dangote Group is considering listing a 10 per cent stake in its $20 billion refinery through a Pan-African IPO expected in 2026.
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has strongly dismissed allegations that its petroleum products are exported to Lomé, Togo, and later re-imported into Nigeria, describing the claims as a “tissue of lies” and lacking both factual and commercial basis.
In a statement released by its management on June 23, 2026, the refinery said the allegations were not supported by available trade flows or commercial logic, insisting that reports suggesting its products are routed through Togo before returning to Nigeria are false.
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The company stated that although it typically avoids responding to what it described as baseless and unsubstantiated claims, it was compelled to address the issue to set the record straight and preserve the facts for posterity.
“As a matter of policy, we do not respond to baseless and unsubstantiated claims, given our current determination and focus in ensuring energy security in Nigeria and Africa as a whole. However, we have decided to clear the air on these ill-motivated web of falsehoods for posterity,” the statement read.
Dangote Refinery said one of its primary objectives is to maintain and strengthen its position as a leading supplier of refined petroleum products in Nigeria, noting that facilitating imports that directly compete with its own products would contradict its business goals.
According to the company, its sales contracts and tender agreements expressly prohibit buyers from reselling or re-importing products into Nigeria.
The refinery further argued that the economics of such a trade arrangement make no sense.
It explained that transporting petroleum products from the refinery to Lomé and subsequently back into Nigeria would cost between $82 and $90 per metric tonne, significantly reducing profitability and making such transactions commercially unattractive.
It added that it does not provide export discounts large enough to offset those logistics costs or create any viable arbitrage opportunity between export and domestic markets.
“Simply put, there is no evident commercial incentive for a producer to incur additional shipping, storage, financing and handling costs only for the product to return and compete in its largest and closest market,” the company said.
Dangote Refinery also highlighted its strict product traceability and compliance measures, revealing that it maintains detailed records of all product sales, including lifting locations, nominated vessels, counterparties and destination declarations where applicable.
The company maintained that any suggestion it knowingly facilitates the re-importation of its products is inconsistent with its contractual restrictions and established compliance procedures.
Reaffirming its commitment to Nigeria’s energy independence, the refinery said it has consistently advocated for reducing the country’s dependence on imported petroleum products, warning that increased imports undermine local refining efforts, place pressure on foreign exchange reserves and weaken domestic industrial development.
“It would therefore be inconsistent with both the refinery’s commercial interests and its publicly stated position to support or encourage practices that increase imports into Nigeria,” the statement added.
The refinery concluded that there is neither a strategic rationale nor a commercial incentive for it to export products to neighbouring countries for subsequent re-importation into Nigeria, stressing that the allegations are not supported by the economics of the trade, contractual arrangements, product traceability records or its long-standing commitment to strengthening domestic refining capacity.
France has confirmed its first-ever case of Ebola virus disease, triggering concern across Europe as health authorities move swiftly to contain the deadly infection.
The French Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that a doctor returning from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which is currently battling a major Ebola outbreak, tested positive for the virus after arriving in France.
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According to officials, the patient was immediately isolated upon arrival, even before laboratory tests confirmed the diagnosis, helping to reduce the risk of transmission.
In a statement, the ministry confirmed the identification of “a first positive case of Ebola virus disease on national territory,” marking the first time the virus has been detected in France.
The development also represents the first confirmed Ebola case recorded outside Africa during the current outbreak, which has affected both the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda.
French authorities disclosed that the case was detected in mainland France, while Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu is closely monitoring the situation as health agencies intensify surveillance and response measures.
The current outbreak in the DRC was officially declared on May 15 following a series of unexplained deaths in the eastern Ituri Province.
The outbreak involves the Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus, for which there is currently no approved vaccine or specific treatment.
Despite growing concerns, public health experts have stressed that the risk of widespread global transmission remains low because Ebola is less contagious than many airborne infectious diseases.
The virus spreads through direct contact with infected bodily fluids and contaminated materials.
Ebola is a severe and often fatal haemorrhagic fever that can cause symptoms including high fever, weakness, muscle pain, vomiting, diarrhoea, and in severe cases, internal and external bleeding.
French health authorities have assured the public that all necessary precautions are being taken to contain the case and prevent any further spread of the disease.
The announcement has nevertheless sparked anxiety across Europe, given the deadly nature of the virus and its emergence outside the African continent during the ongoing outbreak.
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