All former presidents, heads of state absent at Democracy Day event

None of the former heads of state and presidents attended the
Democracy Day celebrations at Eagle Square in Abuja.

The event is the first since President Muhammadu Buhari approved
June 12 as Democracy Day in honour MKO Abiola, presume winner of
the 1993 presidential election.

Since return of democracy in 1999, May 29 had been observed as
democracy day. Although Buhari took his oath of office for his
second term on May 29, major events of the programme were moved
till June 12.

While Yakubu Gowon, former head of state, attended the May 29
event, he was conspicuously absent at the one of June 12.

Aside Gowon, Abdulsalami Abubakar, also a former head of state,
ex-Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Goodluck Jonathan and Ernest
Shonekan, former interim president, were all absent.

But world leaders are at the event. Among them are President
Mohamed Ould Abdel Aziz of Mauritania; President Paul Kagame of
Rwanda; President George Weah of Liberia; President Denis Sassou
Nguesso of Congo; and President Nana Akufo-Addo of Ghana.

Others are: President Macky Sall of Senegal; President Adama
Barrow of Gambia; President Mahamadou Issoufou of Niger Republic;
President José Mário Gómes Vaz of Guinea-Bissau and President
Patrice Talon of Benin Republic.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo as well as Senate President Ahmad
Lawan and Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house of
representatives are in attendance.

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