Buhari postpones medical trip to London, receives PDP defector, Nwaoboshi

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced the postponement of his medical follow-up visit to the United Kingdom (UK) earlier scheduled for yesterday.

The President announced the postponement of the trip through a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina.

The statement did not give reasons for the postponement of the visit but only said that a new date would be announced in due course.

Recall that President Buhari had on April 16, 2021, returned to Abuja from a trip to UK where he had gone for medical check. Last Thursday, in a statement titled, ‘President Buhari off to London Friday for medical follow-up’, Adesina had disclosed that Buhari would leave for London on June 25, 2021, for a scheduled medical follow-up.

The statement read: “President Muhammadu Buhari will proceed to London, the United Kingdom on Friday, June 25, 2021, for a scheduled medical follow-up. He is due back in the country during the second week of July, 2021.”

Meanwhile, the President, yesterday, received Senator Peter Nwaoboshi, who defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The National Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee (CECPC) of the party led by Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State presented Nwaoboshi to the President at the State House, Abuja.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Deputy President of the Senate, Ovie Omo-Agege and other top members of the party were also in attendance during the occasion.

Receiving Nwaoboshi, President Buhari said, “you are welcome to the progressives family.” On his part, the Deputy President of the Senate said Nwaoboshi’s decision to join the APC clearly shows that the effort of the CECPC was yielding fruit.

It could be recalled that the State Working Committee (SWC) of PDP in Delta State had, last Wednesday, suspended Nwaobshi for a period of one month for alleged anti-party activities.

The State Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ifeanyi Osuoza, had in a statement, noted that the action was necessary “against the backdrop of the recent romance with an opposition party, verbal recklessness and unprovoked utterances of the lawmaker, particularly against the person of the state governor, Senator Ifeanyi Okowa.”

But Nwaoboshi, in a statement issued early yesterday through his Legislative Aide, Philip Elueme, stated that the action of the party at the state level was satirical, hurriedly done and a laughable caricature. He added that the action was against the principles of fair hearing.