The 74-year-old Nigerian leader was only seen in public once throughout last week, when he joined other Muslim faithful for a Juma’at service on Friday at a mosque located near his office inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The service lasted less than one hour after which Buhari returned to his residence.

Before Friday’s brief appearance, the last time he was seen in public was penultimate Friday when he attended the same service at the same venue.

Presidency sources attributed the President’s continuous non-appearance at public events to his ailing health and the need to take further rest.

“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,” one of the sources said on Saturday.

In the Presidential Villa, there have been continuous whispers among workers over Buhari’s continued absence.

The concern was further heightened when it was observed that many of the President’s assignments were transferred to the Vice President.

During the week, a delegation of the Arewa Consultative Forum had met with the vice president and told him they were welcoming Buhari from his medical vacation through him (Yemi Osinbajo).

“Was it that they were denied access to the President himself due to his ill health?” some workers wondered aloud.

One of our correspondents reported that, although some government officials were reported to have met with Buhari in his office during the week, to update him of developments in their ministries, no photographs or video recordings of such encounters were made available by the Presidency, which was contrary to the usual practice.

Although the government officials spoke with reporters after their separate meetings with the president, the absence of such photographs and video recordings raised doubts as to whether, indeed, the government officials met with the President.

When confronted with such suspicion on Thursday, the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Mr. Usani Usani, who was one of the government officials that met Buhari during the week, said those who held the opinion that he did not meet the president were entitled to their opinion.

He, however, insisted that he met Buhari and briefed him on developments in his ministry.

Others who met the president during the week were the Head of Service of the Federation, Mrs. Winnifred Oyo-Ita; Minister of Solid Mineral Development, Kayode Fayemi; and the Minister of Sports and Youth Development, Solomon Dalung.

Speaking on the development, a former Joint House Leader of the defunct Peoples Redemption Party and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, as well as a member of the Defence Committee in the Second Republic, Dr. Junaid Mohammed, told SUNDAY PUNCH that there was every reason for Nigerians to be worried about the president’s health, especially because he has hardly been seen in public.

Mohammed 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.”

Also speaking on the rare appearance of Buhari in public, a member of the National Executive Committee of the Arewa Consultative Forum, Mohammed Abdulrahman, said Nigerians should be worried that the cabal in the administration of the president might have hijacked the care of Buhari from his wife, Aisha Buhari.

“That was what happened to Gen. Sani Abacha. The same happened to (ex-) President Umaru Yar’Adua when he took ill and eventually died. Aisha has to learn the ropes and should not allow the cabal in her husband’s government to mismanage the President’s health. While I think the President’s illness is due to old age, there are concerns in the public that he has continued to stay away from the public and the Presidency keeps saying the President is fine. People are worried because Buhari is a president they love,” the ACF chieftain told SUNDAY PUNCH on Saturday night.

Similarly, the leader of the Arewa Youth Consultative Forum, Yerima Shettima, stated that Nigerians were worried about the continued absence of the President in the public. He noted that Buhari was not elected to stay indoors.

“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,” Shettima said.

He is recovering, says Presidency

When contacted on Saturday to react to the fresh anxiety over the President’s health, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said Buhari was recuperating, adding that the prayer of all was that he recovered fully soon.

When further asked when the President would likely return to see his doctors in the United Kingdom, the presidential spokesman said Nigerians would be adequately informed about Buhari’s movement when the time comes.

Adesina 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.

“The President is a plain and straightforward person.”

It will be recalled that the Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, had questioned Buhari’s absence from state functions, especially the weekly Federal Executive Council meetings.

The Convener of Every Nigerian Do Something, Perry Brimah, had also claimed in a statement on Friday that the President was critically ill and was being locked up inside the Presidential Villa by a selfish cabal.

Fayose, in a statement in Ado Ekiti, on Thursday, issued by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, had asked if the President was governing the country by proxy.

According to him, it is becoming obvious that a group or cabal is exercising the powers of the President.

http://punchng.com/fresh-anxiety-in-aso-rock-over-buharis-health/

Why can't this old man resign for God's sake to enable him take care of his health and have adequate rest?

Why is this man doing this to himself?

Is power so intoxicating?

Seeing his pictures after his return from his sick leave shows the old man is critically sick and need a lot of rest!

I wonder why someone will love being in power more than his life!

It's Only God that can decides the future with certainty

OK

To be ill is a birth right. Let us pray for our President for a quick return to good health.

...when you were a little baby this man was ruling and now he was still there even on his way to the grave...nigeria is a huge mistake.

God please heal our President. and let his good side prevails over his bad side in Jesus name. amen.

get well mr president but you could have know that at your age you dont need all this public office you need rest with ur grand children playing around you and make you happy .......why even writting this wen i know you wont even read it & the BMC crew will not get it right

greatgod2012:
Why can't this old man resign for God's sake to enable him take care of his health and have adequate rest?

Why is this man doing this to himself?

Is power so intoxicating?

Seeing his pictures after his return from his sick leave shows the old man is critically sick and need a lot of rest!

I wonder why someone will love being in power more than his life!

I put the question to you, what is your purpose in life? only vision less humans seat down, rest, do nothing and wait to die. some will prefer that even while dying, let me do something. Maybe Buhari has chosen his own path, only time will tell.

l wonder when this old man will heed call of nature and give room to a younger and more capable hand to rule..

lt is obvious he needs urgent and uninterrupted medical attention but 'l must rule' mentality is standing in the way of his sound health..

When his cabals are through dem go leave am alone..

I dont care!
Let the old man resign & enjoy the rest of his days on earth.

All this is to push the bush meat out of its abode.... Eee no go work... Nigeria is on auto pilot and it's sailing fine..
No amount of bad belle articles will bring him out for the hunter to roost

greatgod2012:
Why can't this old man resign for God's sake to enable him take care of his health and have adequate rest?

Why is this man doing this to himself?

Is power so intoxicating?

Seeing his pictures after his return from his sick leave shows the old man is critically sick and need a lot of rest!

I wonder why someone will love being in power more than his life!

U know power intoxicates so to him, he rather die than to leave office

I blame all those fools who voted for this old man to suffer him
This is a grandfather who ought to have be enjoying his retirement in his ranch in daura
These people are not yet done with this innocent man... They still torment him with chants of Sai baba...

sarrki:
It's Only God that can decides the future with certainty

Instead of calling on him to do the needful and resign to go look after his health

Sketchandcraft:
All this is to push the bush meat out of its abode.... Eee no go work... Nigeria is on auto pilot and it's sailing fine..
No amount of bad belle articles will bring him out for the hunter to roost

If Buhari was your grandfather
You will not sacrifice him for Nigeria

Moreover... I trust osinbajo to deliver Nigeria and do a better job than Buhari
I don't know if you are educated but you can't compare a prof with a certificateless retired army officer cum farmer

docadams:
To be ill is a birth right. Let us pray for our President for a quick return to good health.

D man is old and shld be enjoying his retirement in Daura. Guess the National assembly shld put age limit to be President to 65yrs

Party leaders are saying Mr President will contest in 2019. Hope they are not been mischievous.

So, what is the anxiety in this now?

what is the need for anxiety? a stubborn housefly will always certainly follow the corpse to the grave.

That vegetable will die very soon

Nigeria is a Joke, am sick and tired of all this old caucuses clamoring for power!
And Atiku and his likes are warming up for 2019

President Buhari, you have a lovely family you better resign and live a peaceful and longer live for the sake of your children's children.

there were rumours of his collapse on face book,a few mins back

OK

It's okkaayy

.

Power is Intoxicating.

oga is looking so pale and also losing his hair. i hope it isnt cancer?

Can Nigerians just vote me in office of president for 1 month

He don hibernate again?