By Egena Sunday Ode
President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday led president-elect, Bola Tinubu, on a brief tour of parts of the presidential villa, Abuja.
Both men had observed their Friday prayers in the presidential villa mosque before checking out some departments that are key to the workings of the presidency.
Buhari led the President-elect through the Council Chamber and exited at the press gallery where journalists had waited in anticipation to ask him questions for the last time before his exit on Monday.
The State Chief of Protocol (SCOP), Ambassador Lawal Kazaure, explained the functions of the press gallery to both leaders before they walked past the anxiously waiting reporters.
Recall that on Thursday, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo had done a similar task, taking the Vice-President-elect, Kashim Shettima, on a tour of his office at the presidential villa, Abuja.
The former Borno State governor thereafter in a chat with correspondents, pledged that the incoming administration would hit the ground running after the swearing-in.
Osinbajo received him at 4pm at the Vice president’s wing with the tour of the office lasting for a little over an hour.
Speaking to correspondents after the tour, Shettima said he was invited for the meeting by the vice president.
He said: “On the instance of the Vice President, who is a friend, a contemporary, I came here just to exchange ideas on how to move the nation forward.
“He took me round the offices out of courtesy and I want to commend him, I want to thank him for extending that courtesy to me. Yes, cross fertilization of ideas.”
He affirmed that the incoming administration will hit the ground running from day one as it would not have time to waste.
Shettima stated: “I believe President Tinubu will hit the ground running from day one. He does not have the luxury of time. And I will be the vice president. I don’t want to be presumptuous; I don’t want to make loud proclamations but my interaction with him has shown that we will hit the ground running from day one.”
On his conferment with the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), he said, it was a historical and a humbling experience.
“We are what we are not because of our intellect, not because of our physical prowess, not because of our pedigree or political sagacity. It’s just a gift from God to humanity, four years or eight years in this time.
“I believe it is a humbling experience, is a call to national duty and by God’s grace, we need the support of all of you, especially the media to succeed.
“So, I wish to employ all of you to join us in building a new Nigeria.”
