President Biden names the members of the US delegation that will attend Tinubu's inauguration

PRESIDENT Joe Biden has revealed the details of the members of the US contingent that will be travelling to Nigeria for the swearing-on of president-elect Bola Tinubu and his deputy Kashim Shettima on May 29.

Next Monday, former Lagos State governor Asiwaju Tinubu will become the 16th president of Nigeria after what will be the nation’s seventh transition ceremony. It will be attended by foreign heads of state and government as well as past presidents, diplomats, heads of international organisations, prominent Nigerians and representatives of global agencies.

One director in the ministry of foreign affairs confirmed that several African leaders have indicated an interest in attending the inauguration ceremony which will take place at Eagle Square, Abuja. He added that representatives of Nigeria’s traditional allies such as the US, the UK, Canada, France, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Pakistan, China, Germany, Finland, Jamaica, Japan, Israel and Turkey are also expected at the high-profile event.

Yesterday, President Biden announced the identities of the members of the presidential delegation to the inauguration. Marcia Fudge, the secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, will lead the delegation that will include David Greene, the chargé d’affaires at the US embassy in Abuja

Also on the entourage will be Sydney Kamlager-Dove, member of the US House of Representative from California and Marisa Lago, the under-secretary of commerce for International Trade at the US Department of Commerce.

General Michael Langley, the commander of the US Africa Command will be attending, as will Enoh Ebong, the director of the US Trade and Development Agency. Other members of the team will be Mary Catherine Phee, the assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of African Affairs in the US Department of State, Judd Devermont, the special assistant to the president and senior director for African Affairs on the National Security Council and Monde Muyangwa, the assistant administrator for the Bureau for Africa at the US Agency for International Development.