Medical trip: Buhari unfit to effectively govern, says PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) says President Muhammadu Buhari is unfit to attend to state matters.

The opposition party said this while reacting to the president’s medical trip to the UK. Buhari left the country on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalists subsequently, Kola Ologbondiyan, spokesman of the PDP, said it is unfortunate that the president’s aides often shroud their principal’s health in secrecy.

Ologbondiyan said Nigerians have been taken for granted, deceived and “treated like lesser men and women without reasoning capacity”.

He said: “The confirmation of the presidency that President Muhammadu Buhari is unwell, ailing and unfit to attend to state matters, resulting to his latest journey to the United Kingdom for medical attention.

“This admission, though belated and coming after intense public pressure, has now put to rest, speculations on the health status of the President, as well as his attendant inability to effectively govern.

“It is however very unfortunate that the president and his handlers had chosen to shroud the issue of his persistent illness in secrecy under a government that prides itself on claims of transparency and integrity.

“Nigerians will recall that shortly before the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in April, Mr. President, without transmitting a letter to the national assembly, as required by the constitution, undertook a private visit to the UK, where his doctors are known to reside, five clear days ahead of CHOGM. Nigerians were left in the dark for the period despite demands for full disclosure by the PDP.

“Only last week, two days after his departure from the United States where he had gone for a state visit, Mr. President went ‘missing’ again.

“When concerns began to mount on his whereabouts, the presidency claimed he had a technical stopover in the UK, citing flight issues, only for revelations to emerge from the same Presidency, on Monday, that Mr. President was actually in the UK to see his doctors. In these circumstances, Nigerians were taken for granted.”

He said while the PDP does not have anything against the president for treating himself, Nigerians detest the deception that has trailed unabating health issue.

“The PDP therefore counsels President Buhari to be well guided and take charge of his health challenges,” he said.