Presidency officials say Buhari is free to use his latest London trip as he deems fit

PRESIDENCY officials have lampooned suggestions that President Muhammadu Buhari is in the UK for medical treatment stressing that he is there on holiday and is free to use his spare time as he sees fit.

On Thursday evening, President Buhari arrived in London for a 10-day holiday and it is widely believed that he came to meet with his doctors. Since assuming office in 2015, President Buhari takes his annual leave in the UK every year, where he comes for medical check-ups and for treatment on an undisclosed ailment.

Following insinuations that the latest trip is also to seek medical attention, President Buhari's spokesman Femi Adesina has said that Nigerians have the right to believe what they like about the journey. He added that the president has the right to use his private time the way he likes and is expected to return to Nigeria on May 5.

Mr Adesina said: “Those who want to interpret everything, those who want to believe all things should just believe that it is a private trip. When a man goes on a private trip, he has the right to use his time the way he deems because he has the right to private time.

“So, those who want to believe it’s a medical trip, they have the right to believe, if it pleases them and makes them happier. Elections came and a lot of people expected that immediately after the elections, he would travel out to rest or attend to his health but we see two months after the elections, the president was working vigorously.”

However,  the Southern and Middle Belt Leaders Forum (SMBLF) described as contemptuous, the manner in which the presidency is treating Nigerians over the affairs of the number one employee of the people. SMBLF spokesman, Yinka Odumakin, said it was annoying reading an official statement from the presidency that the president was going on a private visit to London with public funds.

He added: “Don’t the people of Nigeria deserve to have information about their leader? These people should acquaint themselves with proper democratic ethos and treat Nigerians with some respect.”