‘What’s wrong with the president?’ — The question Adesina cannot answer

Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, entertained questions from State House correspondents on Tuesday shortly after issuing a statement announcing that President Muhammadu Buhari would remain in the UK “to rest”.

He said he speaks “for somebody… I do not speak for myself. So it is what he tells me to say that I say and the statement transmitted to me is that the president needs to rest for some further time”.

However, he blatantly refused to speak on the specific ailment the president is fighting – the question millions of Nigerians have been asking.

Here is the transcript.

Any possibility that the president will speak to Nigerians soon?

What he has just done is to speak to Nigerians.

What is wrong with the president?

Don’t you know that the Hippocratic Oath even forbids a doctor from speaking about the condition of his patient except the patient authorises it? It is only the patient himself who can speak about what he is going through. This is the person going through these series of tests and rest and he says no cause to worry. Let us believe that.

Why have they been harassing journalists who have been trying to reach the president in UK?

I do not consider that as harassment. Presidents are not hijacked and interviewed. Those things are scheduled. So I do not consider that as harassment.

Will he remain in the UK for months?

What we have just said is what I will want us to believe. The president said he needs to rest further. The same president that communicated that to us, when it is time for him to come, he will also communicate to us.

Has the president lost his voice as rumoured?

Those people need to prove it. He spoke with President Trump. Did Trump say he did not speak with Nigerian President. Anybody can allege anything. My message to Nigerians is that let us learn to believe our leaders. This is a man we elected into office and he says no cause to worry, let us believe him.