Politics

[JUST IN] FULL LIST: U.S President Announces Delegation To Inauguration Of Bola Tinubu

Published

3 years ago

May 23, 2023

U.S President, Joe Biden

U.S. President Joseph Biden, Jr. announced on Monday the appointment of a Presidential Delegation to attend the inauguration of Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29, 2023, in Abuja, Nigeria.

Leading the delegation will be Marcia L. Fudge, Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Members of the Presidential Delegation include Mr. David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja, and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D) from California. The delegation also includes Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Joining them will be General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command, and Enoh T. Ebong, Director of the U.S. Trade and Development Agency. Additionally, the delegation includes the Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs at the U.S. Department of State.

Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs at the National Security Council, as well as Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa at the U.S. Agency for International Development, will also be part of the delegation.

The delegation represents the commitment of the United States to strengthen ties and maintain diplomatic relations with Nigeria. Their presence at the inauguration underscores the importance the Biden administration places on bilateral cooperation and engagement with African nations.

Even as President Biden is sending a delegation to Nigeria, opposition figures continue to claim that the election was not free and fair and was rigged.

Last Wednesday, Nigerian presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar took to Twitter to express his disbelief over a phone call made on Tuesday by U.S. Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken to Nigerian President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Abubakar argued that legitimizing what he described as a widely acknowledged fraudulent election can be demoralizing for citizens who trust in democracy and the sanctity of the ballot.

The former Nigerian Vice President tweeted, “I am in disbelief that @SecBlinken called Tinubu, contradicting the publicly stated position of the US on Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.

This is inconceivable considering that America, as the bastion of democracy, is well briefed on the sham election of February 25. To give legitimacy to the widely acknowledged fraudulent election in Nigeria can be demoralizing to citizens who have hedged their bet on democracy and the sanctity of the ballot @StateDept @POTUS @USinNigeria. -AA”

During the call, Secretary Blinken reaffirmed his commitment to strengthening the U.S.-Nigeria relationship under Tinubu’s incoming administration.

The discussion focused on shared interests, strong people-to-people ties, inclusive leadership, comprehensive security cooperation, and economic reforms to drive growth.

He emphasized the importance of continuing to strengthen the bilateral ties between the two nations under President-elect Tinubu’s tenure.

While Abubakar expressed disbelief over the call, it is essential to note that the U.S. has also announced visa restrictions on specific individuals in Nigeria who have been found to undermine the democratic process during Nigeria’s 2023 election cycle.

Secretary Blinken clarified that these restrictions target specific individuals and not the Nigerian people or the Government of Nigeria as a whole. The U.S. aims to hold accountable those involved in voter intimidation, manipulation of vote results, and activities that undermine the democratic process.

Separately, a U.S. convoy vehicle was attacked in the southeastern state of Anambra, resulting in the tragic deaths of two police officers and two staff members from the U.S. consulate. The attackers set their bodies and vehicles ablaze. While no U.S. citizens were harmed, the incident raises concerns about the safety of American personnel operating in Nigeria and highlights the volatile situation in the region.

As tensions escalate ahead of President-elect Tinubu’s inauguration on May 29, there have been significant unrest and concerns about the aftermath of the election.

It remains unclear whether the attack on the U.S. convoy is linked to the election or motivated by other factors such as criminal or extremist motives.

The developments surrounding the U.S.-Nigeria relationship, the contested election, and the attack on the U.S. convoy underline the complex political and security landscape in Nigeria. The upcoming inauguration and ongoing investigations will shed more light on the situation, as stakeholders strive to address these challenges and foster a democratic and stable Nigeria.

The inauguration of Bola Ahmed Tinubu marks a significant moment for Nigeria, and the Presidential Delegation will participate in the event to further enhance the relationship between the United States and Nigeria.

Source: Today News Africa

Related Topics:#Bola Tinubu #Tinubu Antony Blinken Joe Biden

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Obasanjo, Atiku, Obi Meet In Abuja

Published

15 hours ago

January 10, 2026

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Former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi met in Abuja on Saturday.

The trio were among prominent political figures who attended the Tambuwal Colloquium, titled “Leadership, Service and Statesmanship at 60,” held at the New Event Hall of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, in honour of the 60th birthday of former Sokoto State Governor and Senator, Aminu Waziri Tambuwal.

Atiku confirmed his presence at the event in a post on his X handle, stating that he had arrived at the venue for the colloquium organised to mark Tambuwal’s milestone birthday.

The former vice president also shared images of himself, Obasanjo and Obi at the event.

The event attracted political leaders, statesmen and stakeholders from across the country.

Politics

PANDEF Wades Into Rivers Crisis, Sets Up Seven-member Mediation Team

Published

21 hours ago

January 10, 2026

Editor

The Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) has intervened in the political crisis in Rivers State, calling on all actors to sheathe their swords and embrace peace in the interest of the development of the state and the region in general.

Expressing concern that the political disagreement involving the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Mr Nyesom Wike, Governor Siminalayi Fubara and the State House of Assembly might degenerate to total lawlessness, the Board and National Executive Committee of PANDEF set up a seven-member reconciliation team to resolve the issues.

The team, which is headed by a former Attorney-General of the Federation, Chief Kanu Agabi, has six other members.

They are Senator Obende Domingo (Vice Chairman); Chief Essien Nduese; Dr Timiebi Koripamo-Agari; Chief Mike Ejiofor; Mrs Nella Rabana-Andem, SAN; and Prince Godwin Okotie, the Deputy National Secretary of PANDEF, who will serve as the secretary of the team.

Politics

Wike: Why Removing Fubara Will Be Difficult – Ex-Commissioner

Published

2 days ago

January 9, 2026

Editor

A former Rivers State Commissioner for Information and Communication, Austin Tam-George, has said that attempts to impeach Governor Siminalayi Fubara would be difficult to sustain, citing what he described as the governor’s performance record and the lack of concrete allegations against him.

Tam-George made the remarks on Thursday while speaking on Prime Time on Arise Television, arguing that the impeachment process being initiated against Fubara was to scuttle his chance for a second term.

According to him, Governor Fubara has continued to place the needs of the people at the centre of his administration, with visible interventions in rural development, housing, education and healthcare.

He said this, in his view, has made it difficult for opponents to justify moves to remove the governor from office.

Tam-George also called on the All Progressives Congress, APC, to intervene, arguing that the party should not allow what he described as the humiliation of a sitting governor.

He said: “Well, all I think he needs to do is to do exactly what he’s been doing from the beginning, which is to place the people at the center of gravity of his administration, prioritize the needs of the people, so that the people can see the direct impact of government action in their lives.

“And that’s exactly what he’s doing in terms of rural development, in terms of housing sector transformation, which I mentioned that he is doing the same in education sector and in health.

“So if he continues, if he persists in placing the people’s need at the center of focus of his administration, there is no way they are going to be able to justify this kind of shenanigans.

“Because, if you look very carefully at the so called articles of impeachment, you will see that there is no specificity in terms of any infraction by the governor or his deputy.

“What they are trying to do is to make sure they scuttle the administration so that the governor doesn’t then get to the point where he will be seeking a second term.

“Let me be clear, just two days ago, Nyesom Wike was at one of the local governments, and he made it clear in a moment of epiphany, he made it clear that, look, if Governor Fubara were to get a second term in office, it will amount to his own political burial.

“So all of these things that we are seeing the so called impeachment proceedings they’ve initiated, it’s actually an effort to try to scuttle the prospects of the governor coming for a second term, and I don’t see how they will succeed.

“If you look at the so called articles of impeachment, as I said, they lack specificity in terms of the kind of infraction that they allege that the governor has committed. He has done nothing wrong, and they will see how the process will play out.

“My sense, and in fact, if I were to advise the governor, my sense is that he should just maintain the people, retain the people at the center of gravity of his administration, meet their needs, run a transparent administration as he always done, and then the truth will come out, and he will be able to defend the administration.

“I think the the governing APC should also step in because they can’t possibly allow the governor of the office with probably one of the best performance records in the country to be humiliated by some of these members of the assembly.”