Femi Adesina: Buhari could have died long ago if he relied on Nigerian hospitals

Femi Adesina, former presidential spokesperson, said former President Muhammadu Buhari could have died a long time ago if he had relied on Nigerian hospitals.

Buhari died on Sunday in a clinic in London, United Kingdom (UK), after a prolonged illness.

He served as Nigeria’s military head of state from 1983 to 1985 and as a democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023.

When he was president, Buhari travelled to London for medical treatment on several occasions — a development that sparked public outcry on foreign medical tourism of public officials and the poor state of Nigerian hospitals.

For instance, on August 19, 2017, Buhari returned to Nigeria after 103 days in London for medical treatment.

While he was away from the country, there were rumours that he had died in London.

During his eight-year tenure, Buhari spent at least 200 days in London for medical treatment.

Speaking during Channels Television’s coverage of Buhari’s burial on Tuesday, Adesina said Nigeria lacks “expertise” needed to handle Buhari’s health.

The former presidential spokesperson said Buhari had always been treating himself in the UK before he was elected president.

Adesina added that those criticising Buhari for foreign medical treatment should know that he must be alive to effect change in his own country.

“He always had his medicals in London even when he was not in office. It was not about the time he was president alone,” Adesina said.

“He always had it in London. You have to be alive to get certain things changed or corrected in your country.

“If he had said ‘I will do my medicals in Nigeria’ just as a show off or something, he could have long been dead because there may not be the expertise needed in the country.

“But he needed to be alive to be able to lead the country to a point when we will have that expertise.”