Buhari Reschedules 2-Week Medical Trip To Sunday, Returns To Abuja Instead of London

There was confusion, on Friday, when one of President Muhammadu Buhari’s aides, Bashir Ahmad, said his principal had returned to Abuja.

Buhari was expected to proceed to the United Kingdom for a two-week medical check up after the Kenya event.

Femi Adesina, Buhari’s Spokesperson, who had earlier announced the medical trip in a statement said: “From Kenya, President Buhari will proceed to London for routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.”

But on Friday afternoon, Ahmad tweeted that Buhari was in Abuja: “President Muhammadu Buhari has returned to Abuja, after his participation in the 50th Anniversary of the UN Environmental Programme (UNEP) in Nairobi, Kenya.”

Many had expressed surprise after the president returned to the country on Friday, instead of heading for London as initially announced.

Some Twitter users had expressed shock, demanding explanations over the development as no official statement had been given.

But Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, told Daily Trust that the President’s scheduled medical trip to London is still on course and that Buhari had to return to Abuja after an early completion of his task in Nairobi.

On whether the President had shelved his trip to London, Shehu said: “No, he hasn’t shelved his trip to London. The plan is still there. He finished his business in Kenya and made an early return. The trip to London is Sunday.”