Former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has said that Muhammadu Buhari might have died early if he had relied on Nigerian hospitals for medical treatment.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television on Tuesday, ahead of the late former president’s state funeral, Adesina addressed criticisms over Buhari’s frequent medical trips to the United Kingdom.
He defended the trips as a matter of survival, not luxury. “Buhari had always received his medical care in London, even before becoming president. It wasn’t a new development,” he said.
According to Adesina, UK doctors had long managed Buhari’s condition and were already familiar with his medical history. He argued that switching medical teams mid-treatment would have been dangerous.
“One has to be alive first to fix anything. If Buhari had chosen to stay in Nigeria for treatment just to make a patriotic point, he might not have lived long enough to serve,” he added.
Adesina stressed that Buhari’s overseas treatment was driven by the limitations of Nigeria’s healthcare system at the time and was essential to keeping him healthy enough to govern.
He urged the public to view the decision in the context of necessity, not disregard for Nigerian facilities.