Standup9ja - Buhari Calls Adesina, Refers To Those Speculating About His Health As ‘Mischief Makers’

Standup9ja - Buhari Calls Adesina, Refers To Those Speculating About His Health As ‘Mischief Makers’

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday spoke to his media adviser, Femi Adesina, by phone, during which he described those peddling rumours about his death as “mischief makers”.

The president, who is taking an extended vacation in London, had called his most senior media adviser earlier today to further quell tensions about the state of his health.

The call is coming on the back of several telephone conversations he had made with individuals, including Messrs. Saraki and  Dogara as well U.S. President Donald Trump.

Adesina took to his social media accounts today to confirm the president’s call:

    He said: “At exactly 2.43 p.m today, Saturday, February 25, 2017, my phone rang. Who was at the other end? Tunde Sabiu, personal assistant to President Muhammadu Buhari.

Spoke with PMB a short while ago. Glad to hear his voice. Told me he was resting, but no cause for worry. Said I should greet my family.

Thanks for holding out against mischief makers, PMB tells me during a phone call today. Said he would call again soon. Gave him best wishes.

    “Hold on for Mr President,” Tunde said.

    And in a matter of seconds, the very familiar voice came:

    “Femi, how are you?” (He calls me Adesina most times, but today, he opted for Femi)

    I screamed:”Mr President, I have missed you. How are you sir?”

    He first laughed. That familiar laugh. Then he said: “I am still resting. Thank you for holding out against mischief makers.”

    I said it was my duty, the very least I could do, adding how happy I was to speak with him.

    “How is your family?”

    I said we were fine, and he asked me to extend his greetings to them.

    “I hope to call you again, ” Mr President said, and I bade him farewell, adding: “Best wishes, sir.”

It was a defining moment for me. For more than a month, I had always spoken with aides who are with the President in London. Not once did I ask them to take the phone to him, deliberately so, because I didn’t need to speak with him to validate the fact that he was alive. And since he was on vacation, he had a right to his privacy.

Of his own volition, President Buhari spoke with me. It made my day. Even if he hadn’t done so, he would have remained my President, my leader, and my man. Any day.”

President Buhari has been away from Nigeria since 19 January.