Ahead of the May 29 inauguration, questions on the whereabouts of the President-elect, Bola Tinubu have taken the centre stage.
It has develop into a norm in Nigeria for individuals of the higher echelon of presidency to maintain the standing of their well being standing secret even when this turns into a significant concern for the nation.
The darkish clouds over the precise nature of the sickness being suffered by the leaders at all times led to rumours and speculations from involved Nigerians and members of the opposition.
This may also go away their aides, their political events and social gathering chieftains with the gargantuan process of managing the massive public relations disaster that may greet their absence.
Nigeria has been on this scenario, not as soon as, however twice, and even thrice.
For occasion, the severity of the sickness of former President, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, was shrouded in secrecy even when he was airlifted out of Nigeria for medical remedy in November 2009.
Yar’Adua had at all times suffered some sort of illness since May 29, 2007 when he grew to become president. But the sickness was saved out of the data of Nigerians, till it was later speculated he had kidney issues and an ailment associated to a coronary heart situation.
This secrecy was one of many causes he by no means formally transferred the presidential powers to his then vice-president, Goodluck Jonathan, a scenario that sparked a constitutional disaster within the nation.
There was a report that he collapsed after struggling a attainable coronary heart assault earlier than being flown overseas was debunked and it was later reported that the previous governor died of congestive coronary heart failure, a power situation wherein the center doesn’t pump blood in addition to it ought to.
Recall that on the 20th November 2010, Yar’Adua complained of chest pains and on 23rd November he boarded a aircraft to Saudi Arabia.
According to the then Presidency, the President had walked onto the aircraft himself however just a few individuals: his spouse, just a few army personnel and flight crew, might confirm this.
In a circumstance like this, the President is sure by the structure (Section 145) to tell the Vice-President and the National Assembly in writing, about his motion, however he didn’t.
The President spent four-and-a-half months in Saudi Arabia with most Nigerians now not believing tales being put out by his cronies as many thought he had died months in the past.
Nigerians have been advised that Yar’Adua had returned to the nation within the lifeless of the evening of 24th February, 2011, two weeks after Jonathan was put in as Acting President. No one was to see the President, and nobody noticed him, not even Jonathan.
Turai Yar’adua, spouse of the President and their minders, held Nigeria to ransom. They saved the President’s secret in illness and in dying.
In an analogous case examine however totally different ending, is the case of President Muhammadu Buhari. The Nigerian chief had on February 5, 2016, eight months after being sworn in, took his first medical journey to London, the United Kingdom. This time he spent six days between February 5 and 10. Buhari’s second medical journey would observe 4 months afterward June 6, 2016. He spent 10 days treating an ear an infection after which he rested for 3 additional days earlier than returning on June 19, 2016.
On January 19, 2017, this time the President wrote to the Senate on taking a 10-day trip again to London. Though the holiday was anticipated to begin on January 23, 2017, he left Nigeria the identical day and didn’t return till 51 days after.
Just two months after he got here again, on May 8, 2017, Buhari left Nigeria once more to UK for medical consideration and remained there until August 19, 2017, spending 104 days.
On September 21, 2017, he made a detour from the U.S. to the UK on medical grounds. He was there for 4 days.
Again, President Buhari returned to the UK for medical causes on May 8, 2018, the place he spent one other 4 days. The keep was longer in March 2021. He was there for 15 days, having “routine medical check-up.”
In July 2021, he was in London once more, this time he spent 14 days and on March 6, 2022, the President left once more for London for a two-week medical journey, which lasted 12 days and so forth. Buhari spent a complete of about 237 days on medical journeys to London.
Tax-payers’ cash, within the tone of an estimated N1.1 to 5.4 billion was spent on touchdown, gasoline, and parking costs on President Buhari’s medical journey and until date, no Nigerian can confidently say the very sickness their president has been treating. They can solely speculate.
Fast ahead to 2023, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the 71-year-old presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has been declared president-elect by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, after the presidential election.
But one of many prevailing points, even earlier than the presidential election, was about his well being. But the previous Lagos helmsman has continually denied being unwell.
Although speculative, the president-elect has been present process remedy for a yet-to-revealed ailment in Paris, France since after the March 18 governorship and State Assembly election.
Tinubu was stated to have been jetted out to Europe to hunt medical care after falling unwell after the March 18 election.
Rumours have it that Tinubu fell unwell after the “hectic” electioneering that led to his emergence and the stress that surrounded the governorship election in Lagos State.
However, the president-elect and his camp have maintained that the previous Lagos State Governor had travelled to Paris, and London to relaxation and plan the transition programme.
According to a press release by his spokesperson, Tunde Rahman, “Tinubu would additionally observe the lesser hajj in Saudi Arabia.
“After a really exhaustive marketing campaign and election season, President-elect, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu, has travelled overseas to relaxation and plan his transition programme forward of May 29, 2023 inauguration.
“The President-elect determined to take a break after the hectic marketing campaign and election season to relaxation in Paris and London, preparatory to going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and the Ramadan Fasting that begins Thursday.
“While away, the President-elect will also use the opportunity to plan his transition programme. He is expected back in the country soon.”
However, the assertion, similar to those issued by the aides of President Buhari in 2017, has not doused the speculations within the minds of Nigerians regarding the president-elect’s well being.
While Buhari was away in considered one of his quite a few medical journeys, rumours have been unfold across the nation that the President is lifeless.
The rumoured dying of Buhari, which has been discovered to be false and with none proof, is commonly peddled by the chief of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu.
Buhari needed to personally dismiss the hearsay of his dying and being cloned in 2018 whereas talking at a city corridor session with Nigerians in Poland.
“It’s the real me, I assure you. I will soon celebrate my 76th birthday and I will still go strong,” the president had stated.
“A lot of people hoped that I would die during my ill-health. Some even reached out to the vice-president to consider them to be his deputy because they assumed I was dead,” he added.
Speaking on the problem with DAILY POST, a former nationwide Publicity Secretary of the brand new Peoples Democratic Party, nPDP, and Chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Eze Chukwuemeka Eze, stated the citizens must be blamed for the sort of leaders Nigeria will get.
According to him, “A nation deserves the kind of leaders they need. Nigeria is sick and doesn’t need to settle for that it’s sick, so they like leaders who’re sick.
“Our eyes have been opened to the hazard these sick leaders portend however we love them, that’s the reason we elect them.
“Complaining about a spoiled situation is not the way to go but live with what we love the most.”
