By Ado Oyeyemi
African Action Congress presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has alleged that President Bola Tinubu is currently hospitalised in France.
Sowore made the claim during an interview on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Monday, amid questions over Tinubu’s prolonged stay outside Nigeria.
The President left Nigeria on August 30 for what the Presidency initially described as a three-week working vacation in Europe.
He later extended his stay and was expected to return to Nigeria on Tuesday, September 29.
Sowore alleged that Tinubu’s continued stay in France was linked to his health, claiming that some of the President’s occasional public appearances were intended to create the impression that he was carrying out his duties normally.
“Reliable sources have said Tinubu is undergoing treatment in France. Those once-in-a-while appearances are designed to fool the public,” Sowore said.
He also drew a comparison with the administrations of former Presidents Umaru Yar’Adua and Muhammadu Buhari, during which questions were raised over their health and ability to discharge presidential duties while receiving medical treatment.
Sowore, however, said he did not know the nature of the ailment he alleged the President was being treated for.
“I don’t know what ailment it is because we don’t have those details, and that is why they have not discharged him from the hospital,” he said.
The allegation has not been independently established. The Presidency has consistently rejected claims that Tinubu is receiving medical treatment, saying he is on a working vacation and remains engaged in official duties while abroad.
Presidential spokesman, Bayo Onanuga, said on Sunday that Tinubu was “hale and hearty” and had continued to work during his stay in Europe, including meetings with investors in France.
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The Presidency had also announced that Tinubu was expected to return to Nigeria this week, with reports indicating that he would arrive in Lagos on Tuesday and participate in activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary.
