Garba Shehu, media aide to the late former president Muhammadu Buhari, has said Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad should not be interpreted as a rejection of Nigeria’s healthcare system.
This follows recent remarks by Femi Adesina, also a former presidential spokesperson, who stated that Buhari might not have survived if he had relied solely on Nigerian hospitals. Adesina said Nigeria lacks “expertise” needed to handle Buhari’s health.
Speaking on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme, Shehu countered this narrative, saying Buhari remained under the care of Nigerian medical professionals throughout his time in office.
“I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system,” Shehu said. “He had a Nigerian doctor — a chief personal physician and a state house clinic, also led by a medical consultant, a distinguished doctor of many years of practice.”
Shehu explained that Buhari’s medical team was always present to attend to his needs. “In terms of the immediacy of his own medical needs, they were always present to administer to his own needs,” he added.
While acknowledging Buhari’s consistent visits abroad for treatment, Shehu said these were based on personal preference rather than a lack of confidence in local healthcare. “As for his attachment to his past practice abroad for his medicals, he had an attachment to that. It was not that he was disrespectful of Nigeria’s medical practice or that he didn’t believe,” he said.
Shehu also pointed out the global presence of Nigerian-trained doctors as evidence of their competence. “For most people who also travel abroad and they need to see doctors, I have experienced this in America, you go into the office of the doctor and you find that it’s a Nigerian surgeon, it’s a Nigerian doctor,” he said.
Buhari died on July 13 in a clinic in London following a prolonged illness. He was buried at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on July 15.
