Buhari’ll see his doctors in London –Presidency

From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja

The Presidency said, yesterday, that President Muhammadu Buhari will return to London to meet with his doctors.

No time line was given for the visit.

The clarification was done against the backdrop of an online report which said the president’s advance party had already left Abuja, aboard Ethiopian Airlines, to London, ahead of his departure for further medical checkup, this weekend.

Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu described the news as false. He, however, said President Buhari’s plans of returning to London, as he told Nigerians on his return after 49 days medical vacation, has not changed.

“It is false news. We are not aware of the reported advance movements. The last time the president spoke about this, he said he would return to his doctors after some time. We are not aware that this has changed,” Shehu said.

The presidential media aide was, however, silent on the report that Buhari would no longer return to London for another round of medical treatment, instead, his doctors would be visiting the country.

Buhari, after 49 days medical vacation in London, returned to the country on March 10. He had told members of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), heads of security agencies and the governors Kogi, Yahaya Bell and Zamfara, Abdulaziz Yari, who had turned out to receive him that he would return to London for further medical checkup. The president, who expressed gratitude to Nigerians who prayed for him while he was away, admitted he had never been so sick in his life. He, however, said he felt much better after receiving the best of treatments.

In June 2016, Buhari had travelled to London to see an ear, nose and throat specialist after he contracted an ear infection.