Posted on: 02:08 Sat, 04 Jun 2016



President Muhammadu Buhari is ill
and is being treated at the
presidential villa, PREMIUM TIMES
can authoritatively report.

The president has an infection in
his left ear, otherwise called
Meniere Disease, a challenge which
has drastically reduced his outings
in the last one week.

As a result of the infection, the
president now suffers hearing
impairment and routinely
complains of severe pains and
unusual sounds from that ear, those
familiar with his condition told
PREMIUM TIMES.

Mr. Buhari had on three recent
occasions cancelled official trips
within and outside the country due
to the infection and was
represented at those events by Vice
President Yemi Osinbajo.

A statement by the presidency on
Friday said the vice president
would again represent the
president at the 48th Ordinary
Summit of Head of State and
Government of the Economic
Community of West African States
(ECOWAS) holding this weekend in
Dakar, Senegal.

The statement by Laolu Akande, the
Senior Special Assistant on Media
and Publicity to the vice president,
said Mr. Osinbajo would leave for
Dakar on Friday and was expected
back in Abuja on Sunday.

Multiple sources in the Presidency
told this newspaper Friday that the
president got the ear infection
about two weeks ago.

Our sources said apart from his
family, only a few high profile
individuals who visited at the
Presidential Villa in the last one
week were aware of the president’s
illness.

Mr. Buhari, who clocked 73 last
December, was said to have
confirmed it to some dignitaries
who visited him in the past days,
explaining to some of them that
that was why he was unable to visit
Lagos and Rivers as scheduled.

He was also said to have told some
of his guests that he was struggling
to give his failing health a major
attention.

He is currently being treated by his
personal physician and other
experts from the State House Clinic,
our sources said.

An official said the president might
seek treatment abroad if his
condition does not improve in the
next few days.

Despite hearing difficulty, the
president, our sources said,
managed to attend Jumaat service
and host some important visitors,
including former Presidents
Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck
Jonathan as well as some clergymen
on Friday.

Presidential spokespersons could
not be reached to comment for this
story on Friday night.

While calls to the Special Adviser
on Media and Publicity, Femi
Adesina, failed to go through,
Garba Shehu, the senior special
assistant on media and publicity
did not answer or return calls.

Media reports first hinted of the
president’s illness two weeks ago
when he was billed to visit Lagos.

Mr. Osinbajo represented him on
that visit.

The vice president also represented
the president in Papua New Guinea
last weekend where the 8th Summit
of the African, Caribbean and
Pacific Group of States held.

Mr. Buhari on Thursday put off his
scheduled trip to Rivers State
where he was billed to kick off the
cleanup of Ogoni land as
recommended by the United
Nations Environmental
Programme.

Again, Mr. Osinbajo represented
him at the event.