The Presidency has ruled out the possibility of President Muhammadu Buhari resigning his position over his ill health as being suggested by some Niger
The Presidency has ruled out the possibility of President Muhammadu Buhari resigning his position over his ill health as being suggested by some Nigerians. The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, said those calling for the President’s resignation were merely expressing their opinion.
According to him, the views of over 15 million Nigerians that voted for the President were more important than such opinions, while expressing confidence that God would fully restore Buhari’s health. He however, expressed confidence that through prayers of Nigerians, God would fully restore Buhari’s health. He said, “Yesterday there was still a press briefing saying there is no need for apprehension. God spared the president. In the first place, he said he had never been as sick as he was before, the same God that spared him will also ensure that he returns to full health. Nigerians prayed, God answered. Nigerians are still praying, God will still answer. That is all we believe.”
The President returned from medical vacation to the United Kingdom on March 10, where he spent 49 days. And since his return from vacation, Buhari has been absent at some Federal Executive Council meetings, including that of last Wednesday, where Vice President Yemi Osinbajo presided. It was learnt that the President needed some rest and had asked that all the files on his table be brought to him at his official residence in the Presidential Villa. The President’s absence from public functions for weeks now, has heightened public concerns about the President’s state of health with some Nigerians calling for Buhari’s resignation should he be unfit to deal with the rigours of office.
Also on Friday, he was absent at the Juma’at service held inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja. The Juma’at has been the only public function attended by the President in the last three weeks as he has been joining Muslim faithful for prayers inside a mosque near his office since he stopped attending the service at the National Mosque, Abuja. Three state governors who probably had planned to join Buhari for the prayers, Ibikunle Amosun (Ogun); Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara); and Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), were however present.
No official reason has been given for Buhari’s absence at the prayer session. It will however be recalled that the Presidency had on Thursday said as eager as the President wanted to be up and about, he had been advised by his doctors to take things slowly. In a statement by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, the Presidency however assured Nigerians that there was no need for apprehension over the state of health of the President.
He said, “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, Prof. 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.”
Punch
