Sylva heads Buhari’s inauguration committee

Timipre Sylva, former governor of Bayelsa state, will represent the incoming administration of Muhammadu Buhari in the inauguration committee to usher in the new government on May 29.

He will co-chair the committee with Anyim Pius Anyim, secretary to the government of the federation, who is representing the President Goodluck Jonathan administration.

Sylva, who is currently standing trial over allegations of corruption, succeeded Jonathan as governor of Bayelsa state in 2007 but both men eventually fell out, leading to the non-renomination of Sylva as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2012 gubernatorial election.

He defected from the PDP and was one of the founding leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but his party chairmanship bid last year was stalled partly because of his trial by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

On Thursday, the presidential inauguration planning committee announced a one-week programme of activities leading to the inauguration of Buhari.

At a joint press briefing by Anyim and Sylva, they revealed that the week-long programme will include Jumaat prayers, inter-denominational ‎church service, inauguration dinner, ‎swearing-in ceremony‎, lunch immediately  after the swearing-in and a gala night‎ on May 29.

Anyim said ‎there are two parallel committees: the transition committee and inauguration committee.

The committees will work independent of each other but interface on matters of mutual interest.