President Muhammadu Buhari is sick, but not
terminally ill , The PUNCH gathered on Sunday .
A top government official , who spoke to one of
our correspondents on condition of anonymity ,
said this shortly after the Presidency
announced Buhari’ s decision to extend his two -
week vacation.
Before now , the Presidency had insisted that
the President was not sick , saying he would
only use the opportunity of his short vacation
to undergo check- ups.
But the government official admitted on Sunday
that Buhari was sick.
He , however , insisted that the President was
not ill.
“ The President is sick. But it will not be correct
to say he is terminally ill. Illness has more to
do with terminal disease. The President is only
under the weather; he is not terminally ill, ” he
explained.
Before the announcement , however ,
arrangements were on to receive Buhari in
Abuja , on Sunday , in preparation for his
resumption on Monday.
Officials were put on the alert pending the
confirmation from the Protocol Unit on the time
the President would arrive .
The National Youth Council of Nigeria had also
said it had mobilised 15 , 000 youths across the
country to join in receiving Buhari at the
Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe
International Airport , Abuja .
As of the time the statement on the extension
was released , State House correspondents were
on standby to join the delegation that would
receive the President .
The Special Adviser to the President on Media
and Publicity , Mr . Femi Adesina , had ,
penultimate week , in an interview with CNBC
Africa , monitored in Abuja insisted that Buhari
was not ill.
Adesina had insisted that Buhari was only in
London for vacation and was not in any
hospital .
He had said , “ The President is in London on
vacation . He is not in any hospital and he is
not ill.
“ When he was travelling last week , the
statement we put out was that he was going on
vacation and during the vacation, he would do
routine medical check - up and nothing has
changed from what we pushed out last week . ”
Earlier on Sunday , the Presidency had
announced that Buhari’ s 10 - day vacation to the
UK had been extended .
The extension was contained in a three -
paragraph statement made available to
journalists by Adesina .
Adesina said the extension was necessary to
allow the President complete a series of tests
recommended by his doctors and get the
results .
Although he said Buhari had already
dispatched a letter to the National Assembly on
the extension, he did not specify the duration of
the extension.
The statement read , “ President Muhammadu
Buhari has written to the National Assembly ,
today , February 5, 2017 , informing it of his
desire to extend his leave in order to complete
and receive the results of a series of tests
recommended by his doctors .
“ The President had planned to return to Abuja
this ( Sunday ) evening , but was advised to
complete the test cycle before returning . The
notice has since been dispatched to the Senate
President , and Speaker, House of
Representatives .
“ Mr . President expresses his sincere gratitude
to Nigerians for their concern , prayers and kind
wishes. ”
Shortly after Buhari left Nigeria penultimate
Thursday for London , there were reports that
he had passed on in a London hospital .
The Presidency had since denied the reports .
‘ Senate has received Buhari ’ s letter’
When contacted, the Special Adviser to the
Senate President on Media and Publicity , Mr .
Yusuph Olaniyonu , confirmed the transmission
of the letter from the Presidency to the
leadership of the National Assembly .
He however declined to disclose the content of
the letter .
“ I can confirm to you that a letter has been
transmitted from the Presidency to the Senate , ”
he said .
However , a source at the Office of the President
of the Senate , who spoke on condition of
anonymity as the letter was meant to be
announced to lawmakers on the floor of the
Senate during plenary , said Saraki had yet to
receive the letter in person .
He said , “ I ’ ve been able to confirm that the
letter had been transmitted to the Senate .
Saraki has been informed about it but he has
not collected it , maybe because he is currently
out of town . ”
The Chairman , Senate Committee on Media and
Public Affairs , Senator Sabi Abdullahi , when
asked if the lawmakers would suspend their
current recess to consider Buhari’ s letter , said
he was somewhere in his constituency ( Niger
North Senatorial District) and would not speak
on the matter without having all the details .
Also , the Leader of the House of
Representatives , Mr. Femi Gbajabiamila , told
The PUNCH , on Sunday , that there was no need
to reconvene the House for the purpose of
considering Buhari’ s letter .
Gbajabiamila , a lawyer , explained that the
President had already done the most important
thing by triggering off the constitutional
process to avoid a vacuum and to ensure that
there was no crisis.
He advised Nigerians to stop spreading
rumours as Buhari clearly gave the reason he
would not return to the country for now .
Part of an electronic mail he sent to The PUNCH ,
read , “ I do not believe there is a need to
reconvene for purposes of considering the
letter . As you know , a President can go on leave
and also extend same if there is a need to .
“ The important thing is there is no power
vacuum for as long as a President or Governor
is absent .
“ The constitutional safeguard has been
triggered off and there is no constitutional
crisis.
“ The President did give the reason for the
extension. The reason is not unusual and we
should not give in to speculation and
unfounded rumours . ”
I didn ’ t speak on Buhari ’ s return – Mohammed
Meanwhile , the Minister of Information and
Culture , Alhaji Lai Mohammed , has denied
speaking on the return of Buhari.
While the nation awaits Buhari’ s return ,
Mohammed said in a statement , on Sunday ,
that the reports attributed to him , claiming that
the President wouldn ’ t return because of faulty
aircraft , was false.
The minister, in a statement by his aide , Mr .
Segun Adeyemi , said he did not speak with
anyone .
The statement added , “ 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 . ”
PDP, APC clash over President ’ s health status
Meanwhile , the National Caretaker Committee
of the Peoples Democratic Party called on
Buhari to tell Nigerians the true state of his
health.
The main opposition party was reacting to the
inability of the President to return to Nigeria
from the UK , where he had been on holiday for
more than 10 days .
The PDP said it was wrong for the President to
also send letter to the National Assembly ,
extending his leave, without telling Nigerians
when he would resume .
Spokesperson for the Senator Ahmed Makarfi -
led Caretaker Committee , Mr . Dayo Adeyeye ,
stated this in a telephone interview with one of
our correspondents .
But the ruling All Progressives Congress
berated the PDP, saying the opposition party
should pray for the President instead of
spreading rumours.
The PDP spokesman , who was a former
Minister of State for Works , however , said it
was wrong for the President and his handlers
to be trivialising the health of the President .
He said the President had chosen a wrong
approach to address the issue of his health
since he assumed office .
He said , “ The President should know he is not a
private citizen .
“ He should know that Nigerians are the ones
paying his health bills and therefore , he should
tell them the true state of his health .
“ He should not treat Nigerians with levity and
he should also know what is obtainable in
civilised countries. Nigeria is not a jungle .
“ Imagine the President talking about a leave
extension but not saying when he would
resume ?”
Adeyeye stated that there was no way the
President could claim to be awaiting the
outcome of medical tests without definite dates .
“ Medical tests have dates of collection of
results . It can’ t be open - ended without dates, ”
he said .
But the APC urged the PDP to join other well -
meaning Nigerians to pray for the President
instead of sensing an opportunity to get even .
The National Publicity Secretary of the APC ,
Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi , said this in a
telephone interview with one of our
correspondents on Sunday.
Abdullahi stated , “ This is the President of the
country. The elections are over ; he is our
President , he is the President of Nigeria not that
of the APC or the PDP . If the President has told
us that he needs to stay back to do some other
medical things , it behoves us , as responsible
citizens , to pray for him and stop sensing an
opportunity to retaliate.
“ Does the PDP know more than what we have
been told? What we know is what we have
been told.
“ We believe that the President has
demonstrated an acute sense of responsibility .
We are all living witnesses to our recent history
where a President travelled and did not even
communicate to the National Assembly the
appropriate document to make the then Vice -
President act in his stead.
“ But this is a President that, on every occasion
that he has to travel , he not only communicate
to the National Assembly , but creates the
enabling environment and the space for the
Vice - President to act as President in his
absence .
“ I don ’ t know why people will start going green
in the eyes as if we are actually hoping that
tragedy befalls this country.
“ The PDP should not behave in a way that will
make Nigerians begin to think that it is actually
spreading the rumour that the President is
dead. ”
Also , the Catholic Bishop of Awka Diocese in
Anambra State , Most Rev . Paulinus Ezeokafor ,
on Sunday , asked Buhari to show himself to
Nigerians to douse the tension in the land .
Ezeokafor , who spoke to journalists at the
annual meeting with the Religious Council in
the diocese at St. Patrick ’ s Cathedral , Awka ,
said it was normal that people asked questions
about the health of their President as he was
not a private citizen .
The cleric added , “ We pray that he comes back
in good health, those asking about his state of
health have the right to know where their
President is and how he is doing.
“ It is normal to be sick because he is a human
being like any other person.
“ The interest in Buhari’ s state of health is like
the way people , all over the world , were
worried when the late Pope John Paul 11 and
Nelson Mandela were sick in hospital .
“ It is high time he said something so that the
suspicion and guessing will die down. ”

http://punchng.com/pdp-asks-buhari-declare-health-status-president-extends-vacation/

No one even knows when he is going to come back

So much madness in the land so if Buhari is not returning soonest that means Osibanjo will still be operating as "Acting President" till when ........so much madness when they are even hiding his ailment. What a Country.

Let's do the needful

Ask me what!

Someone help with a synopsis. Afterall all the book Wey I read for school, no get who epp!

.

Buhari is critically ill.

APC should forget propaganda and ask for the collective goodwill of Nigerians in prayers for the president

Here we go again.

A repeat of the whole yaradua saga...

What is PDP saying.....? They should just let baba rest in perfect peace

Ok

PDP is right here. Don't put us in the dark. No matter what, you're still our president and we have to know what the situation is with you.
He stands to gain more enemies if he keeps mum on his health status.

Effizist:
No one even knows when he is going to come back

That is the problem. If he's never gonna come back, let Osinbajo assume full power of the president forthwith. No point bouncing around like we did Yaradua.

Buhari is not a private citizen, he's the president of the country and as such, his true condition should be made known to be public.

With all the uncertainty surrounding this right now, i just cant imagine the looting that would be going on by some people who fear if Osinbajo assumes full powers, they wont have "access" anymore.

Our dearest President in London. May Allah preserve you, cure you completely, give you complete Shifa’ and health. Ameen. I ask Allah The Almighty, The Most Generous The Lord of the Great Throne to heal you by His Mercy… Healing with which will not leave any sickness behind.

Sarki, "La tahzan Innallaha ma’ana" Don’t be sad. Allah is with us.

Allah Hafiz Sai Baba.

Baba declares your health status...
We tired of you lies..
#BuhariMustGo

Thank God 4 opposition.

President osibanjo GCFR

omenkaLives:
That is the problem. If he's never gonna come back, let Osinbajo assume full power of the president forthwith. No point bouncing around like we did Yaradua.

Buhari is not a private citizen, he's the president of the country and as such, his true condition should be made known to be public.

With all the uncertainty surrounding this right now, i just cant imagine the looting that would be going on by some people who fear if Osinbajo assumes full powers, they wont have "access" anymore.

So you feel except for this few weeks Buhari traveled, no one has looted?

Tell me something I don't know.

The Deceitful nature of some people won't let them declare the actual state of health of the president. We can't keep going on for months without a leader.

Laveda:


So you feel except for this few weeks Buhari traveled, no one has looted?

Tell me something I don't know.

Of course they did. With the uncertainty over his true status due to the cancellation of his trip, the looting would increase ten folds.

We know how Nigerians behave.

It is the same thing that hppens when a regime change is imminent.

What's the assurance he's not even dead already.

Nothing beats plain, point blank honesty. But of course this is politics, so honesty is overrated.

Osinbajo should be sworn in as President now!

Looting extended.

That man Is dead.

What is the time/venue for protest?

What a country....

madridguy:
Our dearest President in London. May Allah preserve you, cure you completely, give you complete Shifa’ and health. Ameen. I ask Allah The Almighty, The Most Generous The Lord of the Great Throne to heal you by His Mercy… Healing with which will not leave any sickness behind.

Sarki, "La tahzan Innallaha ma’ana" Don’t be sad. Allah is with us.

Allah Hafiz Sai Baba.

farewell baba

Sai Baba is still very young.

BUHARIISCURSED:

farewell baba

madridguy:
Sai Baba is still very young.

Farewell baba ...... If you survive.....Take a well deserved rest by resigning and handing over to professor Osibanjo.....