Garba Shehu, former media aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has stated that the former leader’s regular medical trips abroad were not a rejection of Nigeria’s healthcare system but rather a matter of personal preference. Shehu made this remark during an appearance on Inside Sources, a Channels Television program, in response to comments by Femi Adesina, Buhari’s former spokesperson.
Adesina had suggested that Buhari “could have died a long time ago” if he had relied solely on Nigerian hospitals, citing a lack of expertise in the country. In contrast, Shehu emphasized that Buhari was always under the care of Nigerian doctors throughout his presidency.
“I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system,” Shehu said, adding that Buhari had a chief personal physician and a state house clinic led by a distinguished medical consultant.
Shehu acknowledged Buhari’s consistent visits abroad for treatment but clarified that this was due to the president’s longstanding medical relationships overseas. “As for his attachment to his past practice abroad for his medicals, he had an attachment to that,” he noted.
He also pointed out the competence of Nigerian-trained doctors working globally, emphasizing their recognition in the medical field. “For most people who also travel abroad and need to see doctors, you go into the office of the doctor and you find that it’s a Nigerian surgeon, it’s a Nigerian doctor,” Shehu remarked.
Buhari passed away on July 13 in a London clinic after a prolonged illness and was buried at his residence in Daura, Katsina State, on July 15.
