Buhari’s London trips, explained
President Muhammadu Buhari’s latest trip to the UK has been postponed.
“The medical follow-up visit of President Muhammadu Buhari to the United Kingdom which was scheduled for today, Friday, June 25, 2021, has been postponed,” Femi Adesina, the President’s aide on media and publicity wrote on Facebook.
Adesina did not reveal any new date for the trip, but said it will be announced “soon”.
This won’t be the first time this year Buhari will be planning a trip to a foreign country to go do medical check-up.
The reason why Mr Buhari’s trip to UK was cancelled is not clear yet, but it comes on the same day some people in the UK are holding a peaceful rally against what they describe as the wrong treatment and the wanton killings of Igbos in Nigeria.
Buhari’s many ‘foreign’ treatments and medical check-ups
The 78-year-old president has traveled abroad many times for medical reasons throughout his presidency, but his administration has never for once revealed the true nature of Buhari’s illness.
This has made many Nigerians to accuse president Buhari of being insensitive for always traveling for treatment abroad when his own country’s public health system is weak.
2016 Buhari London trip
Eight months after Muahmmadu Buhari became Nigeria’s president – on February 5, 2016, he traveled to London for his first holiday and returned on February 10, 2016.
From 13th to 15th May, 2016, Buhari attended the first ever Anti-corruption summit in London with many heads of state from around Africa also in attendance.
6th to 19th July, 2016 Buhari went back to London on Sick leave.
2017 Buhari London trip
7th May to 13th August 20, 2017 Buhari was in London on sick leave again. After this trip, rumors began online that the president has died and was replaced with a clone.
He was forced to prove that he was not a clone telling a press conference “this is the real me, I assure you.”
21 to 25th September, 2017 the 78 year old Nigerian leader takes another trip to London on holiday.
2018 Buhari London trip
9th to 19th April, 2018 Muhammadu Buhari was in London for the meetings of Commonwealth Nations.
1st to 2nd May, 2018 Mr Buhari went to London on transit.
8th to 18th May, 2018, the Nigerian President visited London to see his doctors.
3rd to 13th August, 2018 Buhari was in London for holiday.
2019 Buhari London trip
25th April to 5th May, 2019 President Buhari was on a private trip to London
President Muhammadu Buhari travel to United Kingdom for ‘private visit’ from 2nd till 17th November 2019.
2020 Buhari London trip
The nigerian president departs Abuja for London to participate in the first UK-Africa Investment Summit which happened on 20 January, 2020.
2021 Buhari UK trip
President Muhammadu Buhari of Nigeria takes off to London for medical check up on 30th March, 2021 for two weeks.
No public records in Nigeria has shown who is paying for all these private visits of President Muhammadu Buhari.
But experts say Buhari’s UK trip funding is most likely coming from Nigerian tax payers.
The exact sickness or health challenge the 78 year old president is always traveling to London to treat, has not been made public.
Both the government of Nigeria and Buhari’s family have kept the matter private.
