Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on Tuesday departed Abuja for Nairobi to represent Nigeria at the inauguration of William Ruto as the fifth President of Kenya.
Laolu Akande, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Office of the Vice President, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.
Osinbajo will join other leaders across Africa and beyond for the swearing-in ceremony at Kasarani stadium, Nairobi, with about 20 heads of state expected to grace the ceremony.
Outgoing President Uhuru Kenyatta will hand over the instruments of power including a ceremonial sword and a copy of Kenya’s Constitution to the new president.
Rutho’s electoral victory in last month’s election was affirmed by Kenya’s Supreme Court on Sept. 5.
Nigeria and Kenya share very warm and long standing diplomatic relations underpinned by strong economic cooperation and cultural affinities.
The vice president is accompanied on the trip by the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb. Zubairu Dada, and the Special Adviser to the President on Political Matters, Sen. Babafemi Ojudu.
Osinbajo will return to Abuja later on Tuesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that General Elections were held in Kenya on Aug. 9.
Voters elected the president, members of the National Assembly and Senate, county governors of and members of the 47 county assemblies.
Kenya’s Supreme Court ruled that Ruto,55, was properly elected president, dismissing several petitions seeking to annul the result of the election.
His rival, Raila Odinga and others had alleged there had been massive fraud.
But in a scathing ruling, the judges said some of the petitioners had falsified evidence.
Ruto garnered 50.5 per cent of the vote in the closely fought election against 48.8 per cent for Odinga.
