• Friday, July 26, 2024
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Buhari departs for London, says Vice President is ‘in charge’

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President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday departed Abuja for a routine medical check-up in London.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the president had initially planned to embark on the trip from Nairobi, Kenya after attending the United Nations Environmental Programme (UNEP) at 50 in that country.

Femi Adesina, the president’s spokesman, had on March 1, in a statement said that from Kenya, the president would proceed to London for “routine medical checks that will last for a maximum of two weeks.”

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However, the president returned to Abuja on Friday at about 1.p.m before embarking on the London trip on Sunday.
Meanwhile the president has dismissed the assertion that the governing All Progressives Congress (APC) lacks the capacity to conduct its national convention on March 26, saying the party will surprise its critics.

The president stated this when he fielded questions from State House correspondents shortly before departing the Presidential Wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, for London on Sunday.

“Well, they (critics) should wait and see. How did we come as a party to take power from the ruling party who had been there before us for so many years?” Buhari said.

”So, we have the capacity, everything will be alright.”

On the London trip, Buhari said his absence from the country would not affect the running of government as the Vice-President, who would be assisted by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation as well as his Chief of Staff, would be in charge.

“Well, I cannot claim to be doing the work alone. The government is fully represented – the Vice-President is there, constitutionally when I’m away he’s in charge; And the Secretary to the government and then the chief of staff. So, no problem.”