Buhari arrives in London today for another four-day medical trip as his health shows signs of failing again

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari will arrive in the UK today for a four-day medical trip that will involve him spending time with his doctors who requested that he return to treat an undisclosed ailment that has been nagging him for years.

Last week, President Buhari made a detour to London in the UK on his way back from the US, where it is believed he went to see his doctors and receive medical attention. Following the check-up, his doctors asked him to return for treatment soon and as such, he has decided to arrive today to spend time with them until Saturday.

In August last year, President Buhari spent 105 days in the UK recovering, during which period he stayed at Abuja House in London. That was the second lengthy spell he spent outside the country in 2017 and during both periods, he handed over authority to vice president Professor Yemi Osinbajo.

Mallam Garba Shehu, President Buhari's spokesman, said: “President Muhammadu Buhari will undertake a four-day trip to the United Kingdom. In the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the president had a meeting with his doctor who requested the he return for a meeting, which he agreed to do.

“President Buhari will return on Saturday, May 12th. On his return, the president’s two-day state visit to Jigawa State, which was postponed because of the All Progressives Congress’ ward congresses, will now take place on Monday 14th and Tuesday 15th of May.”

President Buhari had first gone to the UK for medical attention between February 5 and 10, 2016, where he went for treatment on a six-day vacation to London. On June 6, 2016, he then embarked on another 10-day vacation to attend to an ear infection.

At the time, the president returned to Nigeria on June 19, 2016, after spending 14 days in London. He then again left the country on January 19, 2017, on what the presidency described then as a medical vacation.

When the trip was prolonged, presidential aides announced that the president would be staying back in the British capital to enable him to collect results of some medical tests he did. President Buhari returned to the country on March 10, 2017, after a 49-day medical sojourn, saying he had never been that sick in his life.

After missing public events, including three consecutive weekly Federal Executive Council meetings which raised anxiety in the country, President Buhari returned to London on May 7, 2017, where he stayed until August 19. In response to all these medical trips, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party has asked President Buhari to stop deceiving Nigerians about his health.