12 pictures to remember from President's 100 days absence

The president left the country on May 7 to resume treatment for an undisclosed illness in London, leaving Acting President Yemi Osinbajo in charge of the country's affairs.

77 days after he left the country, pictures of President Buhari finally surfaced online when he met with state governors of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) on July 23, at the Abuja House in London.

Since then, he has met with another delegation of Nigerian governors, the presidential media team, as well as the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

The presidency and the APChave had to hit back at every stone that has been thrown at them over the president's medical tourism in the land of a more adequate health care system.

From talks of the president's hypocrisy, to his irresponsibility, and to the oft-concluded nuclear solution of impeachment.

Despite all of that, today marks an unprecedented 100 days that the President departed the shores of this country.

Since it appears that the President will have his way over what should be protocol, we'll use this record-making day to look back at him in pictures released as part of his tour album.

1. President Buhari dines with his disciples

77 days after the president left Nigeria, pictures emerged of him dining cheerily with APC governors and leaders on July 23, at the Abuja House in London.

Nigerians should be thankful for this picture because it paved the way and opened the floodgates of photographed play dates of the president that were released over the following weeks.

It's also the first time the Nigerian people are informed about their president's high spirits and sense of humour.

2. President Buhari dines with 'B' team

Due to the uproar about the clear partisanship of the first meeting with only governors of the president's own party, a second batch of governors, cleverly handpicked from each geo-political zone by the Nigeria Governor's Forum (NGF), was deployed to have lunch with the president only days after the first meeting.

The trip was another glorious opportunity for the Nigerian people to hear about their president retaining his sense of humour despite his very serious illness no one knew anything concrete about.

Clearly, they were not wrong about this. The man could probably do stand-up comedy if he decided Nigeria wasn't worth the trouble anymore and resigned.

3. President Buhari creates London tradition

When President Buhari was in London for his first prolonged 51-day medical tour earlier this year, he met with the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby.

On August 4, he welcomed him to the Abuja House that has served as his haven for the past three months, creating a tradition in the process.

The Nigerian people didn't get to hear about their president's high spirits and sense of humour this time around, but this picture leaves no one in doubt.

4. President Buhari has his day out in the sun, finally!

97 days after he had not been photographed outside the walls of a room, President Buhari finally let his hair out and strode around the garden of the Abuja House while he was receiving his team of firefighters: Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed; Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu; Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina; Personal Assistant on Digital/Online Media, Lauretta Onochie; and the Senior Special Assistant on Diaspora Matters, Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

The team also went to the trouble of delivering a 'Get Well Soon' card to the president, even though the narrative has always been that he has been well for quite some time.

In case the pictures were not enough vindication, almost everyone on that trip remarked about how greatly the president has retained the ability to still crack a joke or two.

5. President Buhari welcomes August visitor

This late entry was released on August 14, 99 days after the president boarded the presidential jet to the United Kingdom.

He met with the Secretary General of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Muhammadu Barkindo and his children.

Even though the picture above makes it difficult to tell, especially with the kids, Barkindo noted that President Buhari was "full of humour."

6. BONUS ENTRY: President Buhari comes in video, too (in case you were wondering)

Despite the good faith displayed by the presidency in releasing a stream of pictures of the president in London, unsatisfied Nigerians still clamoured for a video address dedicated to them by the president.

When his media team visited him on August 12, President Buhari granted half of that request, by appearing in a video, but one not exactly addressing the Nigerian people.

Regardless, Nigerians should be glad they could get this much out of the president.

While President Buhari waits on getting a clean bill of health from his doctors, the Nigerian people can stay contented with the president's stream of pictures.

Happy 100 Days?