The Presidency has refuted reports suggesting that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is unwell and may be flown abroad for medical treatment.
Last week, the Nigerian Institute for Investigative Journalism (NIIJ), citing unnamed sources, claimed that the President was bedridden and that his medical team was preparing to evacuate him for urgent treatment. The report also alleged that Vice President Kashim Shettima had been representing him at key official engagements due to his condition and that several presidential functions scheduled for early last week were cancelled.
However, in an interview with BBC Hausa on Monday, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Print Media, AbdulAziz AbdulAziz, dismissed the claims as baseless and misleading.
“There is no truth in these statements. He is still in office,” AbdulAziz said, insisting that the President remains active and engaged in the affairs of state.
Public speculation over President Tinubu’s health intensified after his absence at the August 3rd ceremony held in honour of Nigeria’s women’s basketball team, D’Tigress, where Vice President Shettima represented him. He was last seen in public on August 1, at the opening of the Summit on Journalism for National Development.
Prior to that, President Tinubu had attended a reception for the Super Falcons following their victory at the Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) in Morocco.
The Presidency has not provided an official explanation for his recent absences, but officials continue to insist that there is no cause for concern regarding his health or capacity to govern.
