Three weeks after his May 29 inauguration, President
Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday evening relocated to the
Presidential Villa, Abuja.
He joined his wife, Aisha, who had moved in on Thursday.
Before he finally moved in, the President had in the
afternoon of Sunday visited the Presidential Villa where he
stayed for about 30 minutes.
Those who thought that he had finally relocated to the seat
of power were however shocked when Buhari left the
premises after spending a few minutes.
He later returned finally in the evening.
It will be recalled that since their inauguration, Buhari and
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo have yet to relocate to the
Presidential Villa.
They have been operating from their private residences and
the Defence House, Maitama, which is the official residence
of the President-elect.
Surprisingly, however, the President’s wife on Thursday
relocated to the Presidential Villa at a time when her
husband was out of Abuja.
Buhari was at that time on private trips to Kaduna and
Daura, his hometown in Katsina State.
Multiple Presidency sources had said that the President
would join his wife inside the Presidential Villa upon his
return to Abuja after the trip.
However, when Buhari returned to the Federal Capital
Territory on Saturday, he retired to his private residence in
Aso Drive, from where he had been operating.
But on Sunday afternoon, the President reportedly visited
the Presidential Villa, apparently to spend a few minutes
with his wife as he prepared to join her.
“The President was here this afternoon (Sunday). He arrived
at about 2pm and spent about 30minutes before he left. He
later returned in the evening. At last, the President has
moved in,” a Presidency official said.
It was not clear at press time whether Osinbajo had also
moved in.
With his relocation, Buhari is expected to operate from the
President’s office for the first time on Monday (today).
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and
Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, had at a time told our
correspondent that ongoing renovation work was hindering
Buhari from moving in.
“As far as the President is concerned, the place (his official
residence) is not ready yet. Workers are cleaning and
refurbishing the place. Once the exercise is completed, the
President will move in,” he had said.
He later released photographs of workers of the construction
giant, Julius Berger Plc, who were painting the outer walls
of the President’s office as proofs of renovation work.
Shehu had also last week Tuesday issued a statement to
debunk speculations that Buhari had refused to move into
the Presidential Villa since his inauguration because of
purported advice from some Senegalese spiritualists.
He explained that “Buhari is a Muslim who believes his fate
belongs to God.”
He added that “no true believer combines faith in God with
reliance on the power of ordinary mortals, who can neither
protect themselves, nor protect others from the hands of
fate.”
He said the purported “spiritual cleansing of the Aso Rock
Villa by Senegalese marabouts before President Buhari
moves into the Villa” was the figment of the imagination of
rumour mongers.
Shehu added that it was ridiculous to attribute Buhari’s
delay in moving into the Villa to any advice from fictitious
marabouts, insisting that renovation work was largely
responsible for the delay.
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