By Joe Udo
ABUJA (CONVERSEER) – A former presidential spokesman, Mr Femi Adesina, has stated that former President Muhammadu Buhari might not have survived this long had he relied solely on Nigeria’s healthcare system, stressing that the ex-leader’s access to medical treatment abroad prolonged his life and enabled him to lead the country.
Adesina made the comment during a live appearance on Channels Television on Tuesday, days after the death of the former president in London.
Buhari, who served as Nigeria’s democratically elected president from 2015 to 2023 and previously as military head of state between 1983 and 1985, died in a London hospital at about 4:30 PM on Sunday, 13th July 2025, following a brief illness. He was aged 82.
Addressing public criticism of Buhari’s decision to seek medical attention abroad, Adesina said the late president had always relied on the United Kingdom for his health care needs, even before assuming office.
“He always had his medicals in London even when he was not in office, so it was not about the time he was president alone,” Adesina stated.
He argued that Buhari’s decision to seek care overseas was a matter of survival, noting that the president had to remain alive in order to attempt reforms in the health sector.
“And then you have to be alive first to get certain things changed or corrected in your country,” he explained. “If he had said, ‘I’ll do my medicals in Nigeria just as a showoff,’ he could have long been dead because there may not be the expertise needed in the country.”
Adesina added, “But he needed to be alive to be able to lead the country to a point where we would have the expertise. So, those who talk of going abroad, they don’t know that a man needs to be alive first before he can effect a change.”
Buhari’s repeated medical trips to the United Kingdom during his eight-year presidency had drawn criticism from various quarters, with many Nigerians questioning the administration’s commitment to improving the local health system.
His death has rekindled debate on the quality of Nigeria’s healthcare infrastructure, especially as top government officials often seek treatment abroad.
The late president’s body departed London on Tuesday morning aboard a presidential jet and is expected to arrive in Daura, Katsina State, for a state burial in accordance with Islamic rites.
The Federal Government had earlier announced that a special Federal Executive Council (FEC) session in Buhari’s honour would be rescheduled to allow dignitaries and citizens to participate in the funeral ceremonies taking place in his hometown.
