National Chairman of the National Conscience Party (NCP), Dr. Tanko Yunusa, has said that the letter released on Monday by the Presidency informing Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari is well but merely needed a longer period of rest has added to the level of doubts the people have concerning the Buhari’s true state of health.
He said this in Lagos when he addressed the media on the state of the nation.
Tanko, who claimed that most Nigerians doubted if the letter was signed by the President himself, alleged that the letter was another lie told by the federal government to cover up a previous lie that was told to the people.
He said that had Buhari told Nigerians the truth about his health status before embarking on the medical vacation in London, the jamboree about visiting him in London, speculations about his death, and letters of explanation would have been unnecessary.
The NCP chairman blamed the confusion and heat in the polity over Buhari’s health on poor communications on the part of those handling the President’s media affairs, stressing that there was nothing wrong with admitting Buhari was ill because he is human.
According to Tanko, such truthful communication would have elicited genuine prayers, and goodwill from Nigerians. He, however, admitted that the transmission of powers of the President to the Vice-President was smooth and legally done; and that the Acting-President, Yemi Osinbajo, has been doing a good job in that capacity.
He said: “I feel so sad that we have to go back to the same point where we stood during the Yar’Adua era. Though there are some slight differences. But there is a major problem here. Lies! When you lie, you will be looking for another lie to cover the one you have told before.
“Most Nigerians believe that the federal government has been feeding us with lies, because it did not come out categorically to say President Buhari is sick.
“Nigerians are about 170 million or more, and Mr. President belongs to the people. If Buhari can pick the phone and speak to US President Donald Trump, why can’t he speak to us?
“Had President Muhammadu Buhari specifically told Nigerians that he was going for a medical check-up because he was not feeling well, all these letters upon letters would have been unnecessary.
“For crying out loud, Mr. President is a human being. He can fall sick. There is nothing wrong with that. The presidency should have told us clearly the situation of things from the on-set. Why are they shrouding his health status in secrecy?
“All the jamboree of going to London to see Mr. President is not because those making the trips love him, but just to confirm he is still alive. It’s so unfortunate.
“I’ve said it before that this federal government has a problem of communication, delivery, and the APC internal party problem. The issue of Mr. President’s medical vacation is a communication problem.
“Buhari’s media adviser, Mr. Femi Adesina will come out and tell us the President is well, hale and hearty. If somebody is hale and hearty, why will you be talking about medical check-up? There is a difference in doing routine medical check-up and being confirmed sick. And you keep telling Nigerians you are hale and hearty.
“The truth about it is that those handling Buhari’s communications are doing a poor job. If they were getting it right, there should have, ab initio, told Nigerians concretely the position of things. At some point, Femi Adesina will tell you he has not seen Buhari. He is the presidential spokesperson. He is supposed to have access to Mr. President.
“There has been a smooth transmission of power to the Vice-President, Yemi Osinbajo to act on the Buhari’s behalf but Nigerians are worried because they don’t believe what they are been told. Some Nigerians doubt, if it was the President himself that signed the transmission of letters.
“There is nothing missing in governance, because already there is a letter authorizing Osinbajo to take over and he is doing a good job of it. Many Nigerians simply feel there was no proper communication about the President’s health status otherwise people wouldn’t have been curious about it like they have been. Apart from that, governance is going on smoothly. Except when it get to a certain point where we don’t know the real situation of things and we don’t want a repeat of what transpired in Yar’Adua’s case that we had to go into the street and be fighting for constitutionality and all. I hope we will not get to that point.”
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