President Buhari feels ready to go home, awaiting doctor's permission

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari says he feels healthy enough to return home and is only awaiting permission from his doctor.

The 74-year-old leader has been on medical leave in London since early May raising questions whether he is well enough to run the country.

Details regarding his illness have never been disclosed to the public.

His absence has sparked numerous protests, including demands that he should resign as well as calls for more transparency about his condition.

“I feel I could go home, but the doctors are in charge,” Buhari said in a statement adding that there had been a “tremendous improvement” in his health.

“Yes he has said that now he has learnt to obey orders. You know Mr. President is a retired general. He was the one who used to issue the orders but now the shoe is on the other foot and he’s the one that must obey orders so he says he must obey the orders of his doctors so we look forward to the doctors giving him the green light to proceed to Nigeria,” said Yemi Adesina, the Special Adviser to the President on media and Publicity.

President Buhari has spent more time since the beginning of 2017 in Britain than in Nigeria.

He was in London from January to March for sick leave before returning to Britain in May for further treatment.

“We just appeal to Nigerians to continue to pray for Mr. President. He’s going to come back Insha Allah to Nigeria to continue what he has been doing and right now there’s really no vacuum and Mr. President is happy about that that the fact that the acting president is doing the job with all diligence and responsibility,” said Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Nigeria’s Senior Special Assistant on Foreign Affairs and the Diaspora.

Nigeria’s presidency released images showing a jovial Buhari, a move that will hopefully reassure Nigerians who have been concerned about their President’s well being that he is indeed fit enough to continue serving them.

After more than 90 days, first video of President Muhammadu Buhari emerges https://t.co/uoSnWbWVmi pic.twitter.com/ykLiMsmx2J

— Wuzup Naija (@WuzupNaija) August 13, 2017