The United State President, Joe Biden, has announced his delegation to attend the inauguration of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu on May 29th in Abuja.
OsunDaily News reports that Biden, in a statement released on the White House website on Monday night, May 22, 2023, announced a nine-member delegation for the event.
Tinubu will be sworn in as the 16th President of Nigeria at Eagle Square, Abuja and no fewer than 65 world leaders, including Heads of State, have been invited to grace the event.
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 Inauguration.
Biden’s delegation will be led by Secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Marcia L. Fudge.
Other members of the Presidential Delegation include;
1. Mr. David Greene, Chargé d’Affaires, a.i., U.S. Embassy Abuja
2. The Honorable Sydney Kamlager-Dove, United States Representative (D), California
3. The Honorable Marisa Lago, Under Secretary of Commerce for International Trade, U.S. Department of Commerce
4. General Michael E. Langley, Commander of U.S. Africa Command
5. The Honorable Enoh T. Ebong, Director, U.S. Trade and Development Agency
6. The Honorable Mary Catherine Phee, Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of African Affairs, U.S. Department of State
7. The Honorable Judd Devermont, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs, National Security Council
8. The Honorable Monde Muyangwa, Assistant Administrator for the Bureau for Africa, U.S. Agency for International Development.
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.
However, even as President Biden is sending a delegation to Nigeria, opposition parties have continued to claim that the election was not free and fair.