President to spend 10-day holiday in London, Osinbajo to become Acting President

The presidency has announced that President Muhammadu Buhari will be spending his 10-working days holiday in London.

This was announced by the president's special adviser on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, on Wednesday, August 1, 2018.

According to Adesina, the president will leave for London on Friday, August 3, and vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, will assume his executive role as Acting President.

A letter has been transmitted to the President of the Senate, and the Speaker, House of Representatives to that effect.

Buhari's London trips

The last time the president was in London was on a medical trip on May 8, 2018, to meet with his doctor before he returned three days later.

In a statement signed by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, on, May 7, the president's doctor requested his presence when he had a "technical stopover" in London.

The president had stopped there on his way back to Nigeria while flying from a working visit to the United States.

He said, "In the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor. The Doctor requested the President to return for a meeting which he agreed to do."

In 2017, President Buhari 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.