President in London for unscheduled "technical stopover"

The presidency has revealed that President Muhammadu Buhari has made an unscheduled "technical stopover" in London after his working visit to the United States of America.

On Tuesday, May 1, 2018, the president's Personal Assistant on New Media, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted that he had departed Joint Base Andrews Airport in the US for Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport, Abuja after bilateral talks with US president, Donald Trump, and another meeting with business executives.

However, a report by Premium Times early on Thursday, May 3, revealed that President Buhari appears to currently be in London after his official Eagle One aircraft landed there at 9:42pm on Tuesday.

In reaction to questions raised over the president's whereabouts, his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said his presence in the United Kingdom is a "technical stopover".

He told The Punch, "They had a technical stopover in London. I am sure if you keep your ears to the ground, you will hear of his arrival soon."

The president's Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, also took to his official Twitter account (@FemAdesina)to disclose that the president will be back in Nigeria later on Thursday.

He posted, "PMB arrives Abuja this evening. The good work of rebuilding Nigeria continues."

[No available link text]

Buhari's medical trips

It's unclear what Shehu meant by the term "technical stopover", but the president's presence in London is believed to be in connection to his recent health issues.

In 2017, he spent a combined 154 days in London on two separate medical visits to treat an undisclosed illness, prompting concerns about how fit he is for duty.

Since the 75-year-old president declared to run for a second term in the 2019 presidential election, his health status is expected to be a major vulnerability for the opposition to exploit.