Buhari expected to fly to Paris for another meeting with his medical doctors over the coming week

PRESIDENT Muhammadu Buhari is expected to seek fresh medical attention abroad over the coming week as he is reported to have an appointment with his medical doctors in the French capital Paris.

Due to be away from the country for about four days, President Buhari was originally scheduled to visit the Ugandan capital Kampala to attend the inauguration of President Yoweri Musevini. His trip was then due to take him to London but instead he will now fly to Paris where he is expected to spend about four days meeting his doctors.

One presidency source said: "Buhari will be heading to Paris for four days. He was planning to go to Kampala and travel to London to see his doctors but they opted to meet him in Paris. He will be travelling on Saturday.

"Buhari had wanted to travel to go for Museveni's inauguration in Uganda and use the opportunity to go to London but they changed the plans last minute and sent Osinbajo. He departs Lagos this evening for Kampala and will be accompanied by the minister of state for foreign affairs, Ambassador Zubairu Dada and the special adviser on economic matters to the president, Ambassador Adeyemi Dipeolu and is expected back in the country later on Wednesday."

Since he assumed office on May 29, 2015, President Buhari has embarked on medical trips abroad at least five times, covering a period of no fewer than 170 days of the five years he had been in power. On February 5 to 10, 2016, the president took a six-day vacation in the UK, saying that his doctors lived there and between June 6 and 19, 2016, he had a further 10-day medical trip for an ear infection.

On January 19, 2017, the President was back in London again on a medical vacation. On February 5, 2017, President Buhari wrote to the National Assembly, seeking an extension of his London medical leave, returning after 104 days on August 19.

Then, on May 8, 2018, President Buhari went to London for a four-day medical review and on April 26, 2019, he left again left for the UK on a 10-day private visit, returning to Nigeria on May 5. From March 30 to April 6 2021, the president then embarked on another trip for a routine medical check-up in London.