Former Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari might not have survived his health issues if he had depended entirely on medical care in Nigerian hospitals.
He made this remark during a special live programme on Channels Television held in tribute to the late president.
Addressing criticisms about Buhari’s frequent medical visits to the United Kingdom during his presidency, Adesina defended the move, emphasizing that it was a matter of survival rather than choice.
He said …
“Buhari always had his medicals in London, even when he was not in the office. So it was not about the time he was president alone. He had always had it there.”
He explained that the UK doctors had been overseeing Buhari’s treatment prior to his 2015 election and were familiar with his medical history, making it impractical to switch medical teams during ongoing care.
Adesina argued that the choice to seek treatment abroad was informed by the doctors’ expertise and the shortcomings of Nigeria’s healthcare system at the time.
He said …
“One has to be alive first to get certain things corrected or changed in the country. If Buhari had said he would do his medicals here as a show of patriotism or something, he could have long been dead because there may not be the expertise needed in the country.”
Adesina further stated that Buhari’s recovery and capacity to govern were largely due to the standard of medical attention he received overseas.
He stated …
“He needed to be alive to be able to lead the country to a point where we would have that expertise. So those who complained about his frequent medical trips abroad don’t know that the man needed to be alive first before you can make a change.”
The former spokesman emphasized that the late president’s decision to seek medical care abroad was driven by necessity, not extravagance or a lack of faith in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
