Opposition Leader Raila Odinga has received invitation to attend the swearing in of Gen. Muhammad Buhari in May.
Gen. Buhari will be sworn in on May 29 while Odinga and his entourage will leave the country on May 27. Buhari received important endorsement from Odinga’s long time friend and ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo.
Obasanjo is expected to be a central figure in Buhari’s regime, not as an employee or appointee but as mentor and towering elderly statesman.
A source close to the veteran opposition leader said Odinga has indicated he will attend. Interestingly, the head of AU Elections oberver mission to Nigeria was Ghana’s ex-President John Kufuor, among the world leaders to arrive in Kenya in 2007 after Kibaki stuck on power.
Buhari has vowed to enthrone a new regime of accountability and transparency in the management of Nigeria’s oil and gas sector.
He also promised to probe the military and security services and the federal civil service and, as well, investigate alleged malfeasance in the management of the economy by successive administrations – including Jonathan’s incompetent regime.
President Uhuru Kenyatta, whose multi-billion milk firm, Brookside, move to expand its market into Nigeria had been assured by outgoing President Goodluck Jonathan is said to be still miffed  at the defeat of his buddy, though, as required by diplomacy, he already dispatched a letter of congratulation to the new Nigerian leader.
Buhari’s ascension is particularly troubling to at least a dozen capitals in Africa who are uncomfortable with regime change in Nigeria, and one where an opposition party is replacing an incumbent government.
What is more worrying are revelations contained in Brookings report that Nigeria is among 12 African states which will change regimes in the next 10 years. The other eleven, which includes at least two East African countries, have barely openly congratulated the new leader in Abuja.
Uganda, for instance, President Museveni is yet to send a congratulatory message, while Rwanda’s Paul Kagame is pushing for a change in the constitution to remove term limits which will allow him run for another election when his term expires. The current constitution allows two terms.
US Vice President Joe Biden Jr. will represent President Obama while Deputy President William Ruto is expected represent Kenya.
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