Buhari Moves out of Official Residence (video)

President Muhammadu Buhari has moved his personal belongings out of his official residence inside the Aso Rock Presidential Villa to the Glass House ahead of the swearing-in of President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

While taking Mrs Oluremi Tinubu on a tour of the Villa on Tuesday, Mrs Aisha Buhari explained what the Glass House was built for.

She said that it is a temporary structure that has been the abode of outgoing presidents since 1991.

The President’s relocation also allows maintenance works on the residence in preparation for its next occupant.

Following Buhari’s relocation, presidential aides have also begun moving their personal belongings out of the seat of power to create room for Tinubu’s personal aides and key Presidency officials.

Saturday PUNCH reports a senior State House source as saying that the main residence of the president was being coated with white paint while some of its sections were being cleaned and fumigated.

“You know that most of the structure is white. So, the renovation will involve repainting of the stained sections and replacing fittings that have gone weak or bad. The furniture may not be changed. But that will depend on the new President,” the source said.

It was observed that the President’s aides started packing their personal belongings out of the Villa earlier this month to avoid last-minute focus on them by “overzealous security officials,” who might be taking pictures to give the impression that the aides were engaging in last-minute looting of the residential apartments.

One presidential aide stated that items being moved out of the Villa included personal books, electronic gadgets, fittings, and other personal effects that he said were not purchased with government funds.

Another aide of the President told The PUNCH, “Since we all know that the tenure of the present administration ends on May 29, which is about 17 days, why will we wait until the new appointees start to resume before we move out?“