Villa back to life on Buhari’s ‘first day in office’

For the first time since their inauguration on May 29, President Muhammadu Buhari and his vice, Yemi Osinbajo, on Monday officially assumed duties at the Aso Rock Presidential Villa, trekking from their respective residences to their offices.

Until both men showed up at their offices, sparking the hitherto dull villa to life., they were operating from the Defence House, Abuja, while renovation works proceeded at the presidential villa.

However, TheCable reported on Friday that the president was set to move in over the weekend, while his wife had already finished with her own relocation. And on Sunday, a presidency official told TheCable that the president was moving in gradually and that he would spend his first night at the villa after breaking the day’s Ramadan fast.

On Monday, state house staff arrived at their duty posts as early as 7am, and the offices were already open for official duties from 8 a.m.

Buhari arrived at his office very early in the morning but his exact time of arrival was unknown to journalists, as he trekked to the office from his official residence located in an area of the villa not visible to journalists.

Meanwhile, Osinbajo was spotted arriving the villa at about 9 am and proceeding to the president’s office just before 11 am, after which the president held a brief meeting with service chiefs.