Doctors Advised Buhari To Take Things Slowly — Presidency

“President Muhammadu Buhari’s doctors have advised on his taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from an undisclosed illness, and there is no need to worry about his health,” Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, said on Thursday.

Buhari did not attend the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, choosing to rest and work from home, according to Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture. This triggered speculation about his state of health and ability to run the country.

Shehu also said President Buhari has not abdicated his role as commander-in-chief of the Nigerian armed forces.

Buhari Not Indisposed

He said contrary to insinuations that the president was indisposed he receives daily briefings on the activities of government and confers regularly with Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

Shehu explained in a statement made available to State House reporters that even in his private residence in which he has been spending the majority of his time recently, also has a fully equipped office.

He advised Nigerians not to be too apprehensive over the president’s state of health, adding that the worst stage of his ill health was over.

According to the SSA, there was nothing wrong in requesting for more resting period as part of the recuperation process which was what the president politely did on Wednesday when he did not show up for the FEC meeting.

“The presidency hereby assures the good people of Nigeria that despite the insinuations of a number of media organisations, there is no need for apprehension over the health of our President, Muhammadu Buhari.

“President Buhari’s absence at the Federal Executive Council meeting of Wednesday, April 26, was a last minute decision; otherwise, the cabinet and the public might have been alerted in advance. As eager as he is to be up and about, the president’s doctors have advised on his taking things slowly, as he fully recovers from the long period of treatment in the United Kingdom some weeks ago.

“President Buhari himself, on his return to the country, made Nigerians aware of the state of his health while he was in London. Full recovery is sometimes a slow process, requiring periods of rest and relaxation, as the Minister for Information, Lai Mohammed, intimated in his press briefing after the FEC meeting on Wednesday.

“Despite his lack of visibility, Nigerians should rest assured that President Buhari has not abdicated his role as commander-in-chief of Nigeria. He receives daily briefings on the activities of government, and confers regularly with his Vice President, Professor Yemi Osinbajo. His private residence, in which he has been spending the majority of his time recently, also has a fully equipped office.

“God is the giver of life and health. We are grateful that He has seen our president through the worst period of his convalescence in London. We are thankful that the president has passed a number of benchmarks already. We pray that God continues to see him through this period of recuperation,” he said.

Hand Over To Osinbajo, Makarfi Tells Buhari

Meanwhile, Senator Ahmed Makarfi, chairman, Caretaker Committee of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to hand over power to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo until he his fully recovered from his illness.

Makarfi, who made the call in Abuja on Thursday, said if President Buhari is not fit enough to remain in office, it’s better to tell the Nigerian people and allow the vice president to continue as acting president and return to work after full recovery.

The leadership of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the president would be working from his official residence, after failing to attend the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting for three consecutive weeks.

But Makarfi disagreed with the APC’s position, saying, “It cannot be okay and it can never be okay. My take is that if the president is not fully fit to stay in office, it is better that he tells Nigerians, so that the vice president will continue to be acting president, exercising the powers of acting president.

“Then you run away from this kind of situation when we allow time for the president to fully recover and assume his mantle of leadership. Me as PDP person, as a human being, I will never wish any human being ill-will even if I disagree with you politically.

“So it does not matter that it is APC that is the person that is sick. My prayer is that he is fit to serve his term. As a politician, I equally want him to finish his term. So when some people begin to insinuate things, of what interest would it be to PDP should the president be unable to finish his term.

“We don’t wish him ill will, we want him to be well, we want him to be fit enough to be on seat when in 2019 we go for election and defeat the APC.

“For a number of reasons, the PDP wishes the president well, for stability of this country, political stability and the fact that we want to defeat a sitting president. We don’t want any confusion politically in this country. It is not good for anybody and as a human being I never wish anybody ill will irrespective of political differences.”

- Independent newspaper