President Muhammadu Buhari has been making public appearance mostly on Fridays for less than one hour over the last four weeks, and speculations are mounting again over his health condition since he came back from Medical leave in the UK.
Members of the Arewa Consultative Forum that came on a visit some time ago were attended to by VP Yemi Osinbajo.
The development has helped to fuel the rumour and media reports the 74-year-old has relapsed.
He has been diagnosed with prostate problem and some other age-related conditions. That has yet to be announced officially, though.
“His ill health coupled with his age is responsible for the scaling down of his activities,” one of the sources said on Saturday,” Sahara Reporters quoted a presidency source.
Many of Buhari’s official duties are now shunted to the vice president.
Former Joint House Leader of the defunct Peoples Redemption Party and Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Junaid Mohammed has said Nogerians should be worried about Buhari’s undisclosed health situation.
“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,” Mohammed told The Sunday Punch.
As it were, most of the criticisms are coming from the northern elite, especially members of the Arewa Consultative Forum.
Another member of the National Executive Committee of the group, 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,” he said.
Yerima Shettima, the leader of the youth wing of the ACF, said that Nigerians were worried about the continued absence of the President in the public.
“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,” he said.
The president’s media handlers, however, have kept telling Nigerians their boss is fine.