PDP Asks Buhari to Declare Health Status as President Extends Vacation

President Muhammadu Buhari is sick, but not terminally ill, The PUNCH gathered on Sunday.

A top government official, who spoke to one of our correspondents on condition of anonymity, said this shortly after the Presidency announced Buhari’s decision to extend his two-week vacation.

Before now, the Presidency had insisted that the President was not sick, saying he would only use the opportunity of his short vacation to undergo check-ups.

But the government official admitted on Sunday that Buhari was sick.

He, however, insisted that the President was not ill.

“The President is sick. But it will not be correct to say he is terminally ill. Illness has more to do with terminal disease. The President is only under the weather; he is not terminally ill,” he explained.

Before the announcement, however, arrangements were on to receive Buhari in Abuja, on Sunday, in preparation for his resumption on Monday.

Officials were put on the alert pending the confirmation from the Protocol Unit on the time the President would arrive.

The National Youth Council of Nigeria had also said it had mobilised 15,000 youths across the country to join in receiving Buhari at the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.

As of the time the statement on the extension was released, State House correspondents were on standby to join the delegation that would receive the President.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, had, penultimate week, in an interview with CNBC Africa, monitored in Abuja insisted that Buhari was not ill.

Adesina had insisted that Buhari was only in London for vacation and was not in any hospital.

He had said, “The President is in London on vacation.  He is not in any hospital and he is not ill.

“When he was travelling last week, the statement we put out was that he was going on vacation and during the vacation, he would do routine medical check-up and nothing has changed from what we pushed out last week.”

Earlier on Sunday, the Presidency had announced that Buhari’s 10-day vacation to the UK had been extended.

The extension was contained in a three-paragraph statement made available to journalists by Adesina.

Adesina said the extension was necessary to allow the President complete a series of tests recommended by his doctors and get the results.

Although he said Buhari had already dispatched a letter to the National Assembly on the extension, he did not specify the duration of the extension.

The statement read, “President Muhammadu Buhari has written to the National Assembly, today, February 5, 2017, informing it of his desire to extend his leave in order to complete and receive the results of a series of tests recommended by his doctors.

“The President had planned to return to Abuja this (Sunday) evening, but was advised to complete the test cycle before returning. The notice has since been dispatched to the Senate President, and Speaker, House of Representatives.

“Mr. President expresses his sincere gratitude to Nigerians for their concern, prayers and kind wishes.”

Shortly after Buhari left Nigeria penultimate Thursday for London, there were reports that he had passed on in a London hospital.

The Presidency had since denied the reports.

‘Senate has received Buhari’s letter’

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Yusuph Olaniyonu, confirmed the transmission of the letter from the Presidency to the leadership of the National Assembly.

He however declined to disclose the content of the letter.

“I can confirm to you that a letter has been transmitted from the Presidency to the Senate,” he said.

However, a source at the Office of the President of the Senate, who spoke on condition of anonymity as the letter was meant to be announced to lawmakers on the floor of the Senate during plenary, said Saraki had yet to receive the letter in person.

He said, “I’ve been able to confirm that the letter had been transmitted to the Senate. Saraki has been informed about it but