Buhari off to London for medical treatment

Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari will take 10 days off and travel to London on Monday June 6 to rest, the Presidency announced on Sunday.

A brief statement by Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, said Buhari will see an E.N.T. specialist for a persistent ear infection during the holiday.

“The President was examined by his Personal Physician and an E.N.T Specialist in Abuja and was treated. Both Nigerian doctors recommended further evaluation purely as a precaution,” the statement said.

This comes a day after the Presidency denied media reports that Buhari was ill.

Denying the report, Adesina sent a message to Qed.ng on Saturday which simply read “Not true. President okay.”

Speculation that 73-year-old Buhari had an ear infection began after he cancelled a working visit to Lagos in May.

The illness was also blamed for the last minute cancellation of other key engagements by the President.

Buhari, uncharacteristically, cancelled a series of official trips within and outside the country within two weeks and was represented by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.

A statement by the presidency on Friday said the vice president would again represent the President at the 48th Ordinary Summit of Head of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) in Dakar, Senegal.

Buhari cancelled his much publicised visit to Lagos on May 23 due to “scheduling difficulties” and another to Port Harcourt, Rivers State to launch the cleanup of Ogoniland on Thursday, June 2.

The Lagos visit would have been the first by a sitting President in 15 years.