Minister demands probe of Buhari’s mental health

In the face of rising security challenges, Oby Ezekwesili, former Nigerian minister of education, has called for an independent mental and physical assessment of President Muhammadu Buhari’s health to determine his ability to govern the country.

In a series of tweets, Ezekwesili said Nigerians need to know the capability of the president to carry on his duties, adding that the current state of the country has become too grave to be overlooked.

I think that at this stage and depth of fragility of the Nigeria-State, Privacy has to yield ground to our Right-to-know as citizens, the state of health of @MBuhari .

We really must assess the physical or mental capability of @NGRPresident to carry on the duties of office.✍🏾

— Oby Ezekwesili (@obyezeks) November 29, 2020

Buhari’s presidency has been a difficult one, with the country witnessing rising insecurity since he took office in 2015. Boko Haram in the north-east of the country has remained largely undefeated, and then there are rising cases of kidnappings in the south, and banditry in most parts of the north.

Most Nigerians have suggested the president sack his military service chiefs and replace them with more competent hands, but the president has refused saying he is satisfied with their performance.