Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory is in agog with activities ahead of Monday’s inauguration of new President of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, at the colourful ceremony to be held at
the popular Eagle Square.
In preparation for the ceremony which about 64 world leaders are expected to grace the occasion, the Eagle Square, venue of the inauguration located at the Federal Secretariat has undergone renovation and rehabilitation.
The pavilion where guests are to be seated has been beautifully painted in Green-White-Green, symbolising Nigeria’s colour with the national flags hoisted around, giving the entire Eagle Square arena schintilating and brilliant appearnce.
The Federal Government has already ordered restriction of movement around the Eagle Square to ward of activities of mischief-makers.
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Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared President-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of the disputed February 25 Presidential election. He is expected to be sworn-in as the 16th President Nigeria at the elaborate event, which the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr Boss Mustapha, disclosed that many Presidents of other countries and Heads of Governments have indicated interest to attend.
The mood in Abuja is a mixture of thrills, frills and hard talks ahead of the inauguration ceremony. While members of APC, which is the ruling party are in celebration mood and eagerly waiting for the D-Day that would witness the swearing of one of them as the new President of Nigeria to pilot the affairs of the country for the next 4 years, those in the opposition have continued to lament, still believing that the court would overturn Tinubu’s victory at the poll in few months.
SGF who is the Chairman of Presidential Transition Council, however, declined comment on foreign Presidents who are on ground for the inauguration for security reasons..
However, barely less than 24 hours to the Presidential handover, Eagle Square, the venue of the event is wearing a new look, and is under lock and key.
A visit by Nigerian Tribune around the venue of the inauguration and the city centre confirmed what the FCT Police Command warned earlier that there would be road diversion from the Eagle Square, stop and search and general restriction of movement around the venue of inauguration.
According to the police: “The strategic operational deployment is characterized by visibility policing across the Territory, stop and search duty, intelligence-led raids on black spots, surveillance, vehicular/foot patrol, and diversions at strategic points namely: Goodluck Jonathan Expressway by Court of Appeal, DeeperLife Junction, Bond/Total Filling Station, POWA/FCDA Junction, Finance Junction by ECOWAS/Women Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Eagle Square ( Phase 1 & Phase 11), Kur Muhammad Way / National Mosque, Abia House, NITEL Junction by Ademola Adetokunbo, Gana Junction/Transcorp, Bayelsa House by Federal High Court, Aso Drive, Ceddi Plaza, NNPC Twin Tower and NNPC/NBS.”
When Nigerian Tribune visited top hotels in the Federal Capital City (FCC) almost all of the hotels visited were fully booked.
A staff of a top hotel told our correspondent under condition of anonymity that: “All our rooms are fully booked, most of the customers booked weeks before today, there is no space for lodging in this hotel.”
A bolt driver who simply gave his name as Andrew, said business is booming for him and his fellow drivers since people coming into town for the inauguration are demanding their services to visit friends, family and shop in the city.
Most residents of the city were eagerly waiting for proposed fireworks scheduled to take place on the eve of the inauguration, being midnight of Saturday at the City Gate and the Millennium Tower, to usher in the new administration.
Meanwhile, solders were seen patrolling round the city to stop whatever would try to breach peace ahead of the inauguration, as security operatives have been placed on red alert to abort any threat to the ceremony.
There are protests for and against Tinubu in Abuja, especially as the election petitions of the presidential candidates of the leading opposition PDP, Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi are still pending at the tribunal.
Although there are fears of possible breakdown of law and order during the inauguration, security is, however, beefed up around Eagle Square, the venue for Tinubu’s inauguration.
All the major roads around Eagle Square have been blocked by a heavy presence of stern-looking security operatives. This is especially as the Department of State Service (DSS) had earlier raised the alarm that some disgruntled elements in the polity were plotting to stop Tinubu’s inauguration to foist an interim government on the country.
Daily Trust on Sunday reports that some Nigerians, under the aegis of The Natives have vowed to keep vigil in the streets of Abuja until Tinubu is sworn in tomorrow.
They said the sacrifice had become necessary to frustrate plans by ‘some unscrupulous elements’ to allegedly form a parallel government.
