For the second time in a row, President Muhammadu Buhari stayed away from his office Thursday.
Prseident Muhammadu Buhari
The President who was expected to chair the Wednesday edition of the Federal Executive Council, FEC meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja failed to turn up.
His Vice Osinbajo functioned in his place.
The reasons for the president’s absence have largely remained unknown as there was no official position on that.
While speculations were rife that he had fallen sick, the spokesman of the government and Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed after the meeting told State House correspondents that the president was not ill.
Mohammed said that the President delegated the power to preside on Osinbajo having considered the agenda of the meeting light.
He added that the president was also in the country and was attending to “other issues”.
The Information Minister however assured that the president who was at his official residency would resume duties in his office later that Wednesday or Thursday (yesterday).
He said: “Clearly when we came in this morning, Mr President was not in the chambers but the Vice President did preside over the council meeting. Understandably, that has sparked a lot of controversies and imputations in the mind of people.
“I just want to make this clear, Mr President is in town. Mr president is attending to other issues. Mr president looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda and decided that the Vice President should preside.
“It’s not unusual for the kind of interest that is shown especially given the fact that Mr president was away for a while on medical treatment and is not. We are not surprised that people will be wondering is he ill again?
“He is not ill, he is not sick. I am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning, he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception.
“It is not unusual even if Mr president is hale and hearty and everything is going on well, for the VP to come and preside over meetings of the federal executive council.
“The fact that Mr President is not in the office does not mean that he is not working. I have just been told now that the secretary to the government is already with him in the residence working. So, the fact that you did not see him in the office does not mean that he is not working at all.”
Meanwhile, it was learnt that the President was not in the office on Thursday.
Besides, there was no known function he attended yesterday.
It will be recalled that the President was flown to London, United Kingdom January 19 on a medical vacation.
