President Bola Tinubu’s special adviser on media, Ajuri Ngelale, announced that President Tinubu will not be addressing a joint session of the National Assembly on May 29, contradicting an earlier statement by another presidential adviser.
Ngelale clarified this in a statement on Tuesday, addressing confusion arising from a prior announcement by Tinubu’s special adviser on information and strategy, Bayo Onanuga. Ngelale emphasized that the Office of the President had not authorized or planned any speech before the National Assembly for that date.
“In view of public commentary concerning the President delivering a speech before a Joint Sitting of the National Assembly tomorrow, May 29, 2024, it is important to state that this information is false and unauthorized as the Office of the President was not involved in the planning of the event,” Ngelale said in an emailed statement to The Guardian.
May 29 marks one year since President Tinubu assumed office. Onanuga had previously stated that the president would use the day to highlight his administration’s achievements to the lawmakers.
“President Tinubu’s speech will dwell on the achievements of his administration and Nigeria’s democracy since the military ceded power in 1999,” Onanuga said in the statement published on his X account on Tuesday afternoon.
Onanuga also mentioned that prominent figures like Tinubu’s chief of staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, retired General Abdulsalami Abubakar, and former Senate President David Mark were scheduled to address the parliament.
However, Ngelale’s statement refuted this, indicating that the president would instead be inaugurating various strategic projects nationwide to commemorate his first year in office.