Tinubu absent as Shettima, Akpabio attend Armed Forces Remembrance Day event

Vice-President Kashim Shettima led other dignitaries to commemorate the 2025 Armed Forces Remembrance Day in Abuja, the country’s capital.

Shettima, who represented President Bola Tinubu, was the first person to lay wreath during the annual event at the Eagles Square on Wednesday.

The vice-president also released the white pigeons in commemoration of the annual event.

Other officials at the event are Godswill Akpabio, senate president; Kudirat Kekere-Ekun, chief justice of Nigeria (CJN); Benjamin Kalu, deputy speaker of the house of representatives; and George Akume, secretary of the government of the federation (SGF).

Other dignitaries include Nyesom Wike, minster of the federal capital territory (FCT); Abubakar Badaru, minister of defence; Bello Matawalle, minister of state for defence; as well as senior military and police officers.

Armed Forces Remembrance Day is an annual event marked on the 15th January to commemorate the nation’s departed compatriots as well as to honour the living veterans.

Traditionally, the president, who is also the commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces, leads the laying of wreath and perform other ceremonial duties.

Currently, Tinubu is at United Arab Emirates (UAE) to attend the 2025 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2025).

The president departed the country on Saturday to attend the annual summit.

The annual summit, which runs from January 12 to 18 January, was initiated by the UAE’s president, Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to promote global discussions on sustainability.

The last Nigerian president to miss the annual Armed Forces Remembrance Day event is late Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, former president, in January 2010.

Yar’Adua was not in the country on the day of the event because of his ailing health. He was presented at the ceremony by Jonathan, his deputy at the time.

Jonathan later became the president on May 6, 2010 following the death of Yar’Adua.

Former presidents like Jonathan and Muhammadu Buhari attended all the events of the Armed Forces Remembrance Day during their tenures.