Buhari to drop military rank from official designation as President

PORTRAITS OF BUHARI, OSINBAJO

Effective May 29, when he is inaugurated as President of the country, the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), will drop his military rank of General from his official designation. This was confirmed in a statement by his media office, yesterday which also released the official portrait of the President-elect and that of the Vice-President elect, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo.

The statement which also gave the form of address of the incoming vice-president said: “From May 29, 2015 the President-elect and Vice-President-elect are to be respectively known and addressed as Muhammadu Buhari, President, Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria and Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, SAN, Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria.”

Also the All Progressives Congress (APC) has appealed to the media to clarify with the authentic officials of the party and the Buhari Campaign Organization any issue having to do with the actions of the President-elect in order to avoid presenting falsehood as facts.

In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said the appeal becomes necessary following recent media reports on the actions which the President-elect will purportedly embark upon once he is sworn into office.

”Various people have been quoted in the media on what the President-elect will do or will not do once he assumes office. The truth is that these people do not speak for the President-elect, hence the need for the media to clarify such issues with the Chairman of the party, its National Publicity Secretary or the Spokesman of the Buhari Campaign Organization. These officials are always available to clarify issues,” it said.

APC said the ongoing transition is a delicate period that fifth columnists could capitalize on to cause disaffection or overheat the polity, hence the need for all stakeholders to be extra-cautious and to put the national interest above all other interests.

Meanwhile, the party has described as a mere fiction the ministerial lists currently being circulated, especially on the Social Media.

”Nigerians should disregard these lists and await the authentic list which will be communicated through the appropriate channels at the right time,” it said.