Victoria Mbangwa
Vice President Kashim Shettima touched down in London on Monday morning to lead a solemn national assignment accompanying the remains of former President Muhammadu Buhari back to Nigeria for burial.
Acting on the directive of President Bola Tinubu, Shettima was joined by the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila. The delegation was received in the UK by Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, and Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum.
The Vice President’s arrival was confirmed in a statement released via his official X (formerly Twitter) account, where he noted the honour of participating in what he described as a “deeply symbolic moment for the nation.”
President Tinubu, in a formal statement on Sunday, announced Buhari’s passing and ordered all national flags to be flown at half-mast in a week of mourning. He also appointed Shettima to personally oversee the return of Buhari’s body from the United Kingdom.
Muhammadu Buhari, a significant figure in Nigeria’s political and military history, led the country twice first as a military ruler from 1984 to 1985, and later as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.
