President Buhari returns home from UK

President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday returned to Nigeria from London, the United Kingdom (UK) where he spent two weeks’ vacation. The Personal Assistant to the President, Bashir Ahmad, on his official twitter handle, Twitter@Bashir Ahmad, tweeted: “President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja this afternoon, after a private trip to London, the United Kingdom,” He posted pictures of President Buhari being received at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, by military officers and some principal officers in the presidency on his arrival.

The two weeks vacation had generated controversy over the president’s health status, and the leadership failure in building functional holidays in Nigeria while leaders seek medical care overseas.

The presidency, however, denied that President Buhari’s departure to the UK was not on an emergency case, refuting insinuations that the president was sick.

The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, however, contradicted the argument of the presidency saying, “It is a routine medical check-up; the President has undertaken this with a set of doctors that he has retained over many years.”

The presidency had also maintained that the routine medical check in the UK is long overdue.

The two weeks’ vacation subsequently in the UK generated protests and counter-protest demanding the president should return to Nigeria and build hospitals. The counter-protesters mobilized to support the president and encourage his leadership.