President Buhari extends medical leave

On the day he was expected to return to the country to resume office after 10 days official vacation, President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, wrote the National Assembly to extend his medical leave. Reports have now revealed that the President is indeed sick but not terminally ill. 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.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had, 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.”

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.”