NLC Says Buhari Must Make Public Appearance To Refute Death Rumor

NLC said this in reaction to a comment by presidential adviser on media, Femi Adesina, that no one can force Buhari to speak.

Speaking during a programme on CNBC Africa, Thursday, Adesina said that the rumoured hospitalization of the President was a figment of people’s imaginations.

“The President is in London on vacation. He is not in any hospital and he is not ill.

“When he was travelling last week the statement we put out was that he was going on vacation and during the vacation he would do routine medical check-up and nothing has changed from what we pushed out last week.

“If anybody has fed something else into the rumour mill that is just what it is- rumour.

“The fact that he is a president, he still has his rights. Compelling him to come out and talk will be infringing on his rights.

“The President will talk if he wishes to if he doesn’t wish to, nobody will compel him to talk. “The truth is that the President is on vacation and he has given a date on which he will return to work,’’ Adesina had said.

But the NLC emphasized that a public appearance by the country’s leader would put to rest rumors of his death.‎

General Secretary of the NLC, Dr. Peter Ozo-Eson, said, “In the social media, stories circulate without confirmation; I think that the easiest way is to talk publicly to the nation because the citizens are concerned about their leaders’ whereabouts.

“If there are those who orchestrated rumours and they are not true, the easiest way is for him to reach out to Nigerians through a public appearance and a statement.

“Nigerians have a right to be certain about the health situation of their President and the people who orchestrate rumours and unsubstantiated reports, one would wish for him to call their bluff by publicly addressing the citizens.”