By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has arrived at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja, Federal Republic of Nigeria, where he is on a Special Visit to attend the Inauguration of His Excellency President-Elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Ramaphosa joins several Heads of State and Government from around the world who will be in attendance at tomorrow’s inauguration.
South Africa and Nigeria maintain a strategic partnership in pursuit of strengthened bilateral co-operation and towards the fostering of peace, stability, and economic development on the continent.
Spokesperson to Ramaphosa, Vincent Magwenya highlighted that the two countries share a common vision on issues of political and economic integration in Africa, the need for sustainable conflict resolution and the need for the reform of multilateral institutions, especially the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
“South Africa and Nigeria are engaged in growing economic cooperation, as evidenced by increasing trade and mutual investments. South Africa and Nigeria account for approximately a third of Africa’s economic output, with each accounting for 60% – 70% of the economies in their sub-regions,” Magwenya said.
Under President Muhammadu Buhari, Nigeria overtook India as the world’s poverty capital with half of its estimated 200 million people now living in abject poverty. The naira also lost 70 percent of its value to the dollar as Africa’s largest economy experienced two recessions.
Tinubu, a former governor of the country’s commercial capital, Lagos, was declared the winner of the February 25 presidential election ahead of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Still, the incoming president is dealing with issues of legitimacy after winning the election with only a third of the votes in a poll in which only a quarter of Nigeria’s registered 93 million voters cast ballots.
Opposition parties have challenged the electoral process and result, citing irregularities, vote rigging and a lack of transparency in the electoral commission’s methods.
The electoral commission has acknowledged “glitches” during the vote but dismissed claims that the process was not free and fair.
A hearing into their complaints began on May 8 and is slated to end on June 23.
Tinubu was declared winner of the February 25 election, gaining 8.8 million votes and picking up the required number of ballots across two-thirds of Nigeria’s states.