The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council has refuted recent rumors that President-elect Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has been flown abroad for medical treatment. The media had been circulating reports of the former Lagos governor’s alleged illness and how he was flown to London, United Kingdom, late on Tuesday night.
These rumors come in the wake of a petition filed by Labour Party candidate Peter Obi at the election tribunal, challenging the outcome of the presidential poll held on Saturday that produced the president-elect.
It should be noted that this is not the first time that the president-elect has been rumored to have been flown abroad for medical treatment. However, the APC Presidential Campaign Council has denied the recent rumors and urged the public to disregard any unverified information about Tinubu’s health.
It appears that this is not the first time that rumors of Tinubu’s illness have circulated. The PUNCH had reported a similar scenario last August, just before the start of the election campaign.
In response to the recent rumors, the Director of Media and Publicity for the APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, denied the allegations of Tinubu’s illness, stating that the President-elect had only gone abroad to rest. Onanuga also explained that Tinubu would use the opportunity of his vacation to perform Umrah (lesser Hajj) after observing the annual Muslim fast.
The Chief spokesman for the APC PCC, Festus Keyamo, also echoed Onanuga’s position on the issue, noting that those spreading the rumors were likely still nursing their wounds after losing out in the election.
He urged people to leave Tinubu alone and let him rest after the election. When asked about the specific country Tinubu visited for his vacation, Keyamo stated that he could not confirm it at the time of reporting but assured the public that Tinubu was hale and hearty.
“I cannot confirm. But all I can tell you is that Asiwaju is hale and hearty.”
Keyamo