The former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, has stated that the former Nigerian leader might not have survived his health challenges if he had relied solely on Nigerian hospitals.
Adesina made the remark on Tuesday during a live interview on Channels Television ahead of the state funeral for the late president, who died on Sunday in a London hospital.
Addressing criticisms over Buhari’s repeated medical trips to the United Kingdom while in office, Adesina justified the decision, saying it was a matter of necessity.
“Buhari always had his medicals in London, even when he was not in the office. So it was not about the time he was president alone. He had always had it there,” Adesina explained.
He said the medical team in the UK had been managing Buhari’s condition long before he became president in 2015 and were already familiar with his medical history.
He explained that Buhari’s health had to come first, noting, “One has to be alive first to get certain things corrected or changed in the country. If Buhari had said he would do his medicals here as a show of patriotism or something, he could have long been dead because there may not be the expertise needed in the country.”
Adesina added that the former president’s ability to lead the country was directly tied to the quality of care he received abroad.
“He needed to be alive to be able to lead the country to a point where we would have that expertise. So those who complained about his frequent medical trips abroad don’t know that the man needed to be alive first before you can make a change,” he said.
The remains of former Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari departed London on Tuesday morning for Daura, Katsina State, ahead of his burial in line with Islamic rites.
