Buhari's sudden U.S trip: A political or medical consultation???

Buhari's sudden U.S trip: A political or medical consultation???

Rumours of the poor health of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential flag-bearer Gen. Muhammadu Buhari (rtd) are heightening especially with the leak of Buhari's medical certificate from the Ahmadu Bello Teaching Hospital (ABTH), Zaria indicating that he has prostrate cancer. According to Vanguard, further concerns were raised, over the health status of Buhari, following his suddenly planned trip to the United States of American towards the end of January.

Buhari is reported to have filled an online application for the United States of America visa to enable him travel to the country around January 26 for medical scrutiny. The leaking of the medical certificate and application for the visa, fueled speculations that Buhari had been weighed down by the strain of the floppy campaigns, which he had been undertaking in recent days, thereby requiring urgent medical attention in the foreign land. His opponents argued that Buhari would not have sought to abandon his campaigns midway and travel abroad for medical attention if his health condition was not dire.

They contended that the general’s failing health had become a serious concern to his handlers, who have, however, quietly managed the situation to avoid any damage to his candidature.

But in a shift response, Buhari dismissed the claims over his health as mere fabrication of lies by those afraid of his rising popularity among Nigerian voters.

Buhari appearing ill and aged

While insisting that he was hale and hearty, Buhari, through his Campaign Director of Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, asked Nigerians not to be distracted by the antics of desperate and unpopular candidates who were afraid of losing in a free and fair contest. The media campaign director dismissed as a figment of the imagination of “wicked and evil persons,” the rumour that Buhari may be travelling to the United States towards the end of this month for medical check up.

The Biafran gathers that Buhari might be using the single to kill two birds. He could use it primary to confirm his failing health status and to negotiate with United States powerful think thanks on matters of mutual interest. According to the medical certificate the 72 year old Buhari was diagnosed in October, 2014 necessitating the need to confirm the disgnosis from a better equipped facility. On the other hand, the U.S. government have subtly been hinting at their dissatisfaction with President Goodluck Jonathan, and may be itching to strike some deals with Buhari that would protect their interest in Nigeria and Africa.

While dismissing the report as fabrications, however, he said that “as a prominent leader of the opposition, many interests across the globe want him (GMB) over for political and diplomatic consultations,” adding that the “invitation to the US may not be unconnected to this.”

Shehu also dismissed as fake and untenable a purported medical report from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital showing that Buhari had been diagnosed of prostate cancer by the institution.

In a statement, he described the claim, said to have been credited to a ‘renowned source in the hospital’, as disdainful, distractive, mischievous, fake and fallacious.

Buhari's medical certificate

The Buhari aide said, “It (report of cancer) is untrue and condescending of its exponents. I have it on good authority that GMB has not visited the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in the last five years. So, how can anyone say that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last October, barely three months ago?.

“This is the highest point of political distraction, malice and mischief. The report was not only fake but unfounded. I have spoken to impeccable sources at ABUTH all of whom deny the report and also claimed that the letterhead used was not their regular one, and that Dr. Bala Mohammed that purportedly approved the false medical report is not on the personnel list of that department.” Beside, Shehu said sources at ABUTH disclosed that “medical report analysis only come from laboratory technologists and not medical doctors as handwritten in this particular case”, stressing that Buhari did not attend the hospital for cancer or any other ailment.

He restated its statement of Friday that Buhari is as fit as a fiddle.

“The Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH) has discredited the purported report said to have emanated from the hospital to the effect that General Muhammadu Buhari is stricken with cancer,” the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation has said.

Despite the rumours and denials, only time will tell.