Again, Presidency Dispels Reports Of Tinubu’s Sickness

Sunnex Egbu

5 hours ago

The Presidency has debunked reports alleging that President Bola Tinubu is unwell and may be flown overseas for medical treatment.

Last week, the Nigerian Institute for Investigative Journalism, quoting unnamed sources, claimed that the presidential medical team was preparing to evacuate the President for treatment.

The report further alleged that Tinubu was bedridden, resulting in inefficiency in governance, with Vice President Kashim Shettima allegedly standing in for him at several official engagements. It also claimed that some presidential functions scheduled for early last week were cancelled.

However, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, AbdulAziz AbdulAziz, dismissed the claims in an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday.

“There is no truth in these statements. He is still in office,” AbdulAziz said.

Naijaonpoint reports that questions over the President’s whereabouts intensified after his absence at the August 3 ceremony honouring Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, where Vice President Shettima represented him.

Tinubu was last seen publicly on August 1 at the opening of the Summit on Journalism for National Development. Before then, he had attended a reception for the Super Falcons following their victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

The Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, also dismissed the health concerns in an interview with ICIR on Monday.

“President Tinubu is working. He has a versatile style of working. He can even work from home. In fact, he prefers working from home to working in the office. Anyone who is doing this should know the story of the hare he is spreading,” Onanuga said.