• Says, they Were Personal Preference
By Abiola Olawale
Garba Shehu, a former Senior Special Assistant to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has refuted claims that Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad signaled a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Shehu, a senior media executive, emphasized that Buhari’s overseas treatments were driven by personal preference, not a dismissal of Nigeria’s local medical expertise.
This comes after reports suggested that Buhari “could have died a long time ago” if he had relied solely on Nigerian hospitals due to a lack of specialized expertise.
Speaking with Channels Television, Garba Shehu explained and clarified that Buhari remained under the care of Nigerian doctors throughout his presidency.
He said: “I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system.
“He had a Nigerian doctor — a chief personal physician and a state house clinic, also led by a medical consultant, a distinguished doctor of many years of practice.”
He emphasized that the president’s medical team was always available to meet his immediate health needs.
“In terms of the immediacy of his own medical needs, they were always present to administer to his own needs,” Shehu added.
While acknowledging Buhari’s consistent visits abroad for treatment, Shehu said this was due to the president’s longstanding medical relationship overseas.
“As for his attachment to his past practice abroad for his medicals, he had an attachment to that,” he said.
“It was not that he was disrespectful of Nigeria’s medical practice or that he didn’t believe.”
