Jonathan: I will hand over to Buhari on May 28

Jonathan took this decision yesterday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Information Minister Patricia Akwashiki told State House journalists after the meeting.However some legal experts are divided over when the tenure of President Jonathan would officially end and when Buhari would take over. While Professor Awwal Yadudu, said that President Jonathan’s tenure ends officially […]

Jonathan took this decision yesterday during the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, Information Minister Patricia Akwashiki told State House journalists after the meeting.
However some legal experts are divided over when the tenure of President Jonathan would officially end and when Buhari would take over.
While Professor Awwal Yadudu, said that President Jonathan’s tenure ends officially on May 28 midnight, Samuel Okutepa (SAN) said it would officially end by midnight of May 29 except he decides to resign before that time.
Yadudu said that from practical knowledge during the hand over by Abdulsalami Abubakar to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo in 1999, the formality of the swearing-in when Buhari would subscribe to the Oath of Office would take place on May 29.
“I remember General Abdulsalami handing over to Obasanjo. The tenure would end May 28 but General Buhari’s legal tenure would begin 29 May after the midnight of 28,” Yadudu said.
He mentioned that the constitutional requirement is that the regime cannot operate until the Oath of Office has been subscribed to.
For Okutepa, Buhari’s tenure would end a second to May 30 adding that it is would be okay if President Jonathan decides to hand over in the morning or afternoon of May 29 explaining  that the tenure ends by 11:59pm.
He mentioned that by jurisprudence, Buhari’s would become President on May 30 but that President Jonathan can only leave on May 28 where he decides to resign.
But the minister stressed that the president would hand over the affairs of the country to Buhari at a dinner on the eve of the May 29 Democracy Day.
“By May 28, the president intends to have the formal handing over done at a dinner so that we can reserve the 29th for the incoming (government). By May 28, we expect to have concluded one-way governance and we are welcoming incoming government,” she said.