COVID-19: Buhari is fine, says Femi Adesina

The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, says President Muhammadu Buhari is fine despite the fact that some of his aides tested positive for COVID-19.

Adesina said this when he appeared on Sunday Politics on Channels Television.

• COVID-19 vaccination, Nigerian workers and public health
• COVID hits Aso Rock, Garba Shehu, Buhari’s ADC, others test positive

Adesina said presidential aides going on self-isolation after testing positive to COVID-19 confirmed that remained human and not immune to happenings around them.

“Well, what I like to say is that presidential aides are just human. They can fall sick. If anything happens to human beings, it can also happen to presidential aides. The fact that we are presidential aides does not make us to be immune to certain things.

“If there is a virus that is ravaging society. Well, it can touch anybody. So, Mallam Garba Shehu has confirmed that, yes, he tested positive but he said it’s mild. And I believe that by now, because it’s happened since Wednesday, by now, he should almost have beaten it if he had not beat it already. There is no cause for alarm.”

Asked how he was holding up since he had contact with Shehu, he said: “Well, I also believe God for the best. If it happens, I’ll recover. So, that’s it.”

Asked to speak on the number of the President’s aides in the State House had been infected, Adesina said: “No. That will not be within my purview to discuss maybe if you get the Presidential doctor or anybody in the medical side, they will tell you, I wouldn’t know because, it is a private thing. If it happens to anybody, it’s between that person and possibly the doctor. It’s not going to be general knowledge. So I may not be able to say.”

Adesina, who was asked if the President was isolating after realising that he had been exposed to those infected, said: “Well, I think Mr. President is quite fine, he is doing his normal routine, following his normal schedule. But if anybody close to him tests positive, that person is required to stay away till he tests again, and he test negative. So, Mr. President, is following his normal schedule and routine.”

An online newspaper, Premium Times, had at the weekend named those affected as the President’s Aide-de-camp (ADC), Yusuf Dodo; his chief security officer (CSO), Aliyu Musa, and Garba Shehu.

When Shehu was contacted over the report Saturday, he said: “Have you read the Premium Times report? What I said in it is the truth to the best of my knowledge. What is true is that I know about myself that I’m self-isolating and taking my medication, but I know of no other case.”

Buhari last Tuesday received his COVID-19 booster Pfizer Biontech vaccine as Nigeria enters the fourth wave of coronavirus disease.

The same day, the First Lady, Hajiya Aisha Buhari, also directed all her staff to proceed on leave until further notice.

Last year, she gave similar directive as a result of the OVID-19 outbreak.