The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said President Muhammadu Buhari’s ill health is affecting his performance.
The party also said that Nigeria under President Buhari is awfully degenerating into a despotic state where citizens are no longer safe as long as they hold opinion contrary to those in power, in spite of their constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.
The party urged the world not to fold its hands and watch as official impunity and imminent despotism override civil liberty and rule of law in Africa’s largest democracy, saying that shrouding of the issue of President Buhari’s illness in secrecy, just for political gains, is neither in the interest of the President nor that of our nation at large.
And that the handlers of Mr. President appear to be more concerned about the next election instead of the consequences of a failing health and the blatant breaches of our constitution.
The PDP therefore counsels President Buhari to be well guided and take charge of his health challenges.
Meanwhile, the Co-Convener of BringBackOurGirls (BBOG) advocacy group, Aisha Yesufu, has condemned President Muhammadu Buhari’s trip to United Kingdom on doctor’s request.
Presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, had last Monday, disclosed that Buhari was expected to leave, yesterday, for a four-day trip based on his doctor’s request.
But reacting to the revelation, the activist called the president’s attention to the degrading nature of public hospitals in the country.
Aisha on her Twitter page urged Buhari to be a good leader and provide the best healthcare for Nigerians in the world instead of travelling abroad for medicals.
She wrote, “No one begrudges the President’s access to best healthcare the world has to offer. Some of us begrudge the President having that access, and not ensuring citizens he is supposed to lead have that access too.
“Would it be a bad thing for Nigeria to have the best healthcare in the world?
“The hallmark of a true leader is compassion! A leader should want better things for those he or she leads. Want them to have access to the things he or she has access to, and even more. Public hospitals have been comatose for a while now due to strikes,” Aisha added.
President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, embarked on a four-day medical trip to the United Kingdom.
According to a statement, last Monday, by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the President’s trip is at the instance of his doctor.
He said Buhari would return to the country on Saturday.
The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari will tomorrow (Tuesday) undertake a four-day trip to the United Kingdom.
“In the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor.
“The doctor requested the President to return for a meeting, which he agreed to do.
“President Buhari will return on Saturday, May 12th.
“On his return, the President’s two-day state visit to Jigawa State, which was postponed because of the All Progressives Congress’ ward congresses, will now take place on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th of May.”
Buhari had, between February 5 and 10, 2016, embarked on a six-day vacation to London.
On June 6, 2016, he embarked on another 10-day vacation to attend to an ear infection.
Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, had explained then that Buhari was battling with what he called “persistent ear infection.”
Adesina had said that although the President had been examined and treated by his personal physician and a specialist in Abuja, both doctors advised him to go for a further evaluation as a precaution.
He said the President would, therefore, use the 10-day break to see an Ear, Nose and Throat specialist in London.
Buhari returned to Nigeria on June 19, 2016, after spending 14 days in London.
He again left the country on January 19, 2017, on what the Presidency described then as a medical vacation.
When the trip was prolonged, presidential aides announced that the President would be staying back in the British capital to enable him to collect results of some medical tests he did.
Buhari returned to the country on March 10, 2017, after a 49-day medical sojourn, saying he had never been that sick in his life.
He then gave an indication that he would return to London for further check-up.
After missing public events, including three consecutive weekly Federal Executive Council meetings which raised anxiety in the country, Buhari on May 7, 2017, returned to London for medical consultation.
He returned to the country on August 19, 2017.
Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Buhari to stop deceiving Nigerians about his health and other national issues.
The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan, who spoke with newsmen, in Abuja, said it was a pity that the President lied to Nigerians about the stopover he had in London a few days ago.
He said, “The President should stop deceiving Nigerians about his health and other issues.
“Why did he lie that he merely had a technical stopover in London? He should take Nigerians and Nigeria seriously.
“He could be sick, but he should also know that Nigerians are the ones maintaining his health for him. So, he should tell them the truth all the time
“We also hope he has transmitted a letter to the National Assembly about this trip. If he didn’t, that is going against the Constitution.”
However, the Presidency has again spoken on President Muhammadu Buhari’s health in respect to his trip to the United Kingdom, yesterday, to see his doctor.
Buhari’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, in an interview with Channels TV, yesterday, said there was no cause for alarm as the president was just going for a medical review.
“Mr President is 100% healthy; there is no cause for alarm. He is going to London for medical review and would return on Saturday.”
He, however, stated that it was only God that can guarantee Buhari’s return on Saturday.
“A man cannot guarantee anything in life; we can’t guarantee the president’s return.
“In terms of his health, there is no cause for alarm. It is just a medical review. We all need that from time to time as there is nobody that is 100 healthy.
“It is only God that has the final authority on things but all things being equal, he would be back on Saturday,” he added.
When asked on the nature of Buhari’s illness, Adesina declined giving details, adding that only the president can reveal that.
“The nature of his illness is private and personal. The fact that the man is a president does not deny his right and privileged to his private life
“Unless he comes out voluntarily and willingly to tell the country his ailment even his medical doctor does not have the right to disclose his ailment.
“He is the only one who has the authority to tell the country, it will be unethical for anyone to speak on it.”