President Muhammadu Buhari has departed Abuja, Nigeria, for New York, the United States of America, to attend the 74th Session of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA). The President was accompanied to the Airport by the Chief of Staff, Abba Kyari, and some other officials of the Presidency.
The Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, was conspicuously missing in the activities marking the departure of President Buhari at the airport which was dominated by Abba Kyari.
It was noted that President Buhari’s participation at the 2019 UNGA is significant as it coincides with a Nigerian being the President of UNGA.
Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Prof. Tijjani Muhammad-Bande, was unanimously elected President of UNGA74 .
This marks the second time Nigeria would be occupying that prestigious position after late Major Gen. Joseph Nanven Garba who was elected President of UNGA44 in 1989.
The theme for UNGA74 is “Galvanizing Multilateral Efforts for Poverty Eradication, Quality Education, Climate Action and Inclusion.”
There was however, no clarification whether President Buhari transmitted power to Vice President Osinbajo through the National Assembly or he traveled to US with executive powers and would be governing Nigeria from overseas while attending the UNGA.