Buhari’s 2017 illness was ‘debilitating’, says Femi Adesina

A Nigerian government spokesman Friday said the country’s president had a “debilitating illness” that required him to need medical attention for the most part of 2017

“A debilitating illness came,” said Femi Adesina, who is President Muhammadu Buhari’s media adviser, in a Facebook post on Friday. “And for most of 2017, the President was receiving medical attention, both at home and abroad.”

The illness, Adesina said, may have been a spiritual attack on the president by those whom he called adversaries who wanted to get rid of him because of his perceived honesty.

“All sorts of things, physical and spiritual, were thrown at him, just to get rid of the man who would not steal, and not allow people to steal,” Adesina said.

The presidential aide once denied that his boss went to London for medical treatment.

In fact, the presidency claimed Buhari was in London between January 19 March 10, 2017, to “undergo routine medical check-ups” during a short holiday.

On his return, he tacitly acknowledged that he was very ill, telling his cabinet members that “I couldn’t recall being so sick since I was a young man.” He also said he had “blood transfusions, going to the laboratories and so on and so forth.”

He returned to the United Kingdom on May 7, 2017, for the same reason and did not return until August 19.

He was also in London between May 8 and May 12, 2018, again, to see his doctor on his way back from the United States, where he met President Donald Trump.

While he was receiving treatment in 2017, rumours were rife he was dead. The same adversaries that wanted to get rid of Buhari spread those rumours, Adesina insisted.

“Instead of goodwill and prayers, they were rejoicing,” Adesina said.

“We’ve finally stopped him, they gloated. But did they? Could they? Not if God was still alive.”