Finally, Presidency Admits Buhari Has Ear Infection

The Presidency has confirmed speculations surrounding the state of health of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying he is suffering from ear infection and will travel today to the United Kingdom for treatment.

A statement yesterday by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said the president would today proceed on a 10‎-day leave, which he would spend in London.

“During the holiday, he will see an E.N.T. specialist ‎for a persistent ear infection,” he said, explaining: “The president was examined by his Personal Physician and an E.N.T. Specialist in Abuja and was treated. Both Nigerian doctors recommended further evaluation purely as a precaution.”

Prior to the statement, reports had it that the president had an ear infection.

While there was no official confirmation, ‎the inability of the president to embark on public outings as he confined himself to the State House gave credence to the speculation.

‎On three recent occasions, the president cancelled official trips within and outside the country due to the infection and was represented at those events by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

Last weekend, the vice-president had to represent the president in Papua New Guinea where the 8th Summit of the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States held.

Osinbajo also represented the president at the 48th Ordinary Summit of Heads of State and Government of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) which held in Dakar, Senegal.

‎The president was again unable to travel to Lagos State to inaugurate some projects executed by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode despite elaborate preparations to receive him, a development that shocked many members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-west even as he could not travel to Rivers State to kick-start the Ogoni clean-up project.

At both occasions, he was represented by the vice-president.

Despite his health challenges, however, the president managed to attend the Jumat service and hosted some important visitors, including former Presidents Olusegun Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan as well as some clergymen on Friday.

The president had been said to be having an infection in his left ear, a disease known as “Meniere’s Disease’’, a claim the Presidency had denied last Saturday.

But speculations persisted that Buhari was suffering from hearing impairment and routinely complained of severe pains and unusual sounds from that ear.