Buhari too ‘unwell’ to govern: Nigerian opposition

The 75-year-old former military ruler last year spent five months in London seeking treatment for an undisclosed illness that he said required multiple blood transfusions.

He flew out again on Tuesday, citing a request from his doctor, and pledged to be back in Nigeria on Saturday.

But the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said in a statement on Tuesday evening it was an admission that he was “unwell, ailing and unfit to attend to state matters”.

The disclosure had “put to rest speculation on the health status of the president, as well as his attendant inability to effectively govern”.

The party also hit out at what it said were the “deception, lies and beguiling” of the president’s office about the head of state’s health.

Before the last election in 2015, the PDP — then in power under president Goodluck Jonathan — claimed that Buhari had terminal prostate cancer.

Buhari rejected the assertion and claimed a leaked medical report showing he was being treated for the condition was faked.

But with so many absences and uncertainty about his condition, his health is likely to become a major issue as he seeks re-election in February next year.

In particular, there will be questions about whether he will be able to manage months of rigorous campaigning.