Buhari hosts Saraki, Dogara in London

*President in high spirits, healthy, says Saraki

President Muhammadu Buhari Wednesday hosted the National Assembly leadership in London, where he is on vacation.

The visit to the President by the leadership of the Nigeria’s National Assembly further denounced the claims by critics like Afenifere leader Ayo Adebanjo and some other Nigerians who said the problem they had with the President’s issue was that his aids such as Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, did not tell the truth about the problem’s matter.

They have since been replied by many other Nigerians who took to social media.  One of them, Mr. Frank Taylor, said a people who do not trust their President and people who speak for him could not be called a good people and as such do not deserved to be taken serious.  Taylor said such people “are people of small minds.”

Senate President Bukola Saraki, Speaker of the House of Representatives Yakubu Dogara and Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan visited President Buhari in his holiday home in Abuja House, London around 5pm Nigerian time and spent some time with him.

President Buhari later tweeted about the visit on his personal twitter handle @MBuhari, saying “Pleased to receive the Senate President @bukolasaraki and Speaker “Yakub Dogara and Senate Leader Ahmed Lawan, tonight.

“I thanked them for visiting. I’m also grateful to Nigerians, Christians and Muslims alike, for their prayers and kind wishes for my health.”

The president is staying at the Abuja House, the official name of the Nigerian High Commission.

House Spokesman, Abdulrazak Namdas (APC, Adamawa), according to a national daily in Nigeria, last night hinted that the visit was “to see and greet the president.”

“They went out of courtesy to the president who has not been feeling fine lately,” he said, adding that as representatives of the people, it was good to visit the president, who is the leader of the country.

The visit of the National Assembly leaders came days after national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu and former interim chairman of the APC, Chief Bisi Akande visited President Buhari.

In a phone interview, a source in London   confirmed the visit of the National Assembly leaders.

“Yes, they are in London on national assignment. That’s all I can tell you, “he said.

A lawmaker close to Speaker Yakubu Dogara earlier told Daily Trust that “Yes, it’s true. They [Saraki, Dogara and Lawan] left for London yesterday to see the president. The plan was for the two presiding officers of the National Assembly to visit the president before we resume from break next week. That’s all I know about it,” the source said.

Another source said, “The visit was to see and greet the president. If you remember, the president spoke with the two of them last week. I think it’s in furtherance of that that they went to visit the president.”

The lawmaker said meeting the president one-on-one was to give Nigerians confidence in view of the rumours making the round about Buhari’s health.

When contacted, the Senior Special Adviser to the Senate President on Media and Public Affairs, Yusuph Olaniyonu confirmed the visit.

Buhari had on January 19 notified the National Assembly of his intention to embark on a 10-day vacation, starting from Monday, January 23 to February 6. The president however wrote the National Assembly again in a letter dated February 8, notifying the lawmakers of his intention to extend his vacation beyond February 6.  He said the extension was to enable him complete his medication.

President Buhari recently spoke on phone with United States President Donald Trump. He also called Adamu Fika to condole with him over the death of his wife.

…Buhari in high spirits,healthy, says Saraki

Senate President Bukola Saraki, who on Wednesday led a team of National Assembly leaders to visit President Muhammadu Buhari in London, said at the end of the visit: “there is no cause for alarm”

His statement was meant to douse apprehensions and speculations in Nigeria about President Buhari’s health. And after meeting the President today, Saraki declared:

“The president I saw today is healthy, witty and himself…he is doing well, was cheerful and in good spirits”.

With Saraki on the trip were the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara and the majority leader in the Senate, Ahmed Lawan.

Here is Saraki’s statement:

“Myself, Rt Honourable Speaker, Yakubu Dogara and leader of Senate, Senator Ahmed Lawan paid a visit to President Buhari in Abuja House in London.

We were delighted to see that President Buhari is doing well, was cheerful and in good spirits.

The president I saw today is healthy, witty and himself.

The president’s absence and imminent return shows that there is no vacuum in government and our system of democracy is working with all organs of government fulfilling their mandate.

And let me use the time tested cliché, there is no cause for alarm!”(NAN)