President Bola Tinubu will depart Abuja on today, Thursday for N’Djamena, the capital of Chad, to attend the inauguration of Mahamat Déby as the country’s 7th president.
Gatekeepers News reports that Tinubu, according to a statement by presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale, will be present to witness Déby assume the presidency following his victory in Chad’s presidential election on May 6.
Chad’s constitutional court had affirmed the election results, leading to the extension of 34 years of rule by the Déby family in the north-central African country.
Déby, who has led Chad since 2021 initially as head of the Transitional Military Council and then as Transitional President, won the recent polls to become the elected head of state.
However, his ascension to power after his father’s death in 2021 was viewed by some political actors within Chad as an unconstitutional coup.
The 40-year-old was a military officer who previously served as second in command during Chad’s military intervention in northern Mali.
He assumed leadership in April 2021 when his father, former President Idriss Déby, was killed while commanding troops against rebels in the region.
Ngelale said Tinubu will be accompanied by senior government officials for the inauguration ceremony in N’Djamena.
They are expected to return to Abuja after the event on Thursday.
