Tinubu’s health crisis causing uncertainty, what we must do – Atiku’s ex-aide
A former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, Segun Sowunmi, has taken a swipe at President Bola Tinubu, calling for an end to his medical tourism and suggesting that future candidates for the office must undergo medical fitness test before election.
Sowunmi’s statement is coming in the wake of President Tinubu’s travel to Europe, which some have speculated is health-related. “Our history of presidents facing prolonged and unresolved health challenges has reached a point where decisive action is necessary,” Sowunmi said.
The politician equally suggested that Nigeria “must establish a Federal Surgeon General, whose responsibility is to determine whether any candidate is medically fit to hold the office of President” or “whether any sitting President remains healthy enough to continue performing the duties and responsibilities of the office.”
“This should be the last time the nation is forced to endure uncertainty and dysfunction caused by avoidable health-related leadership crises. The office of the President carries immense responsibility, and it must be treated with the seriousness it deserves. Our current approach is inadequate, and the consequences are too great to ignore,” he writes.
TheCornet is reporting that President Tinubu left for Europe on Sunday, December 28. Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on media and strategy to the President, said in his statement that Tinubu would continue “his end-of-year break” in the unnamed European country.
The President’s foreign itinerary includes traveling to Abu Dhabi, in the United Arab Emirates.
As Onanuga states, President of the United Arab Emirates, His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed AlNahyan, invited President Tinubu to participate in the 2026 edition of Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW 2026) Summit.
The summit, which is taking place in early January, is a weeklong annual event, bringing together “leaders from government, business, and society to chart the next era of sustainable development.”
“The President will return to the country after the Summit,” the statement reads.
- By Adeola Atanda
