President Muhammadu Buhari’s health condition is nothing to worry about and he is not hospitalized, Senior Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu has claimed.
Mr. Shehu, in an exclusive chat with online newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES on Sunday, hours after the president wrote to the National Assembly seeking permission to extend his medical vacation in London, said the embattled President Buhari was in his residence at the Nigerian High Commission in London, England.
“I just spoke to the president’s personal doctor, and he told me President Buhari is not in any serious condition to worry about. He is not in hospital”, Shehu clarified, stressing that Mr. Buhari was ready to return to Nigeria on Sunday but for the arrival of some test results which indicated he needed further tests.
Hear him: “He and his delegation were ready to come home today but for the delayed test result which came in today which necessitated that he delays his return. There is nothing to worry about as far as his condition is concerned,” Mr. Shehu said.
President Buhari jetted out of Nigeria on January 19 on an official 10-day vacation after writing to the national assembly and handing over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. However, speculations of deteriorating health and possible demise has continued to swirl since Buhari travelled for his latest medical vacation, the third time since he was sworn-in as President in May, 2015.
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, was forced to issue an official statement to quash rumours of Buhari’s death last week. Mr. Mohammed also had to hurriedly issue another statement on Sunday to debunk reports that Buhari could not return to Nigeria because of a faulty aircraft.
“Our attention has been drawn to a report quoting the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, as saying the President’s return to Nigeria may be hampered by a faulty aircraft. The Minister has not spoken to anyone on the issue of the President’s return, hence this report is another from the stable of the purveyors of fake news and should be disregarded,” a statement signed by the Minister’s media aide, Segun Adeyemi, read in parts.
By Olisemeka Obeche