The state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari is beginning to stir anxiety in Aso Rock Villa as the president’s public appearance has been limited, since his return from the UK where he had gone on medical vacation.
President Buhari’s appearance has been limited to his office while only being seen at Jumat services
The Punch reports that presidency sources confirmed that Buhari’s limited appearance at public services was due to his ailing health and that the president needed more rests.
“It is no longer news that the President has been sick. His ill health coupled with his age is responsible for the scaling down of his activities.”
It has also been observed that most of the president’s assignments were transferred to vice president, Yemi Osinbajo and this has further fuelled speculation about the president’s health.
Although some government officials have met the president in his office, the lack of photo and video evidence which used to be the norm has raised questions about whether they truly met him.
Mr. Usani Usani who is the minister of Niger Delta affairs confirmed meeting the president and said those who felt otherwise were entitled to their opinion.
Junaid Mohammed who has been a staunch critic of the Buhari administration said Nigerians have a right to know how their leader was doing.
He said: “The Presidency needs to tell the truth. It is disingenuous and not good for the country for the people to be told lies about their president. “We need to know the truth and not be told lies.
People have genuine cause to be worried because they don’t see their president as they should. Knowing about the health of the President is not a personal issue; it is of public interest.Nigerians are genuinely concerned.
” President Buhari’s public appearance has been limited to the mosque Yerima Shettima who is the leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum said the president was not elected to stay indoor. “Nigerians want to see the President they voted for.
Nigerians want to know the status of his health. We are praying for him to get better but nobody should hide him from us. We are worried. It is disturbing and worrisome that we have not seen him in public and that we do not know his exact health status.
Nobody should hide him away from us because we feel he has been kidnapped from Nigerians. He is being treated with taxpayers’ money so they deserve to know the status of his health. “It is sad that against all odds, a cabal in the government has turned Buhari to a private property.
But Buhari is a public property as an elected president of the country.
Tradition and constitution demand that we should know about his health. No one has the right to hide him from us. We are concerned; we are worried. We feel that our mandate is being hijacked by some people.
The electorate must know what has happened to their mandate.”
Femi Adesina who is the spokesperson to the president however insisted the president was fine but was only recuperating.
He said: “The President is recovering, and our prayer is that he returns to full heath soon.
“On arrival in the country on March 10, he (Buhari) said he would still travel at a later time. No date was given, but be assured that when it’s time to travel, the country would be told.
