‘Severe ailment made Tinubu unable to talk for days’ – Sources

‘Severe ailment made Tinubu unable to talk for days’ – Sources

SAHARA REPORTERS

Nigeria’s ‘President-elect’, Bola Tinubu is expected to return to the country today (Monday), more than a month after leaving for France to seek medical treatment.

SaharaReporters learnt that a crowd was being organised to receive Tinubu right from the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport in Abuja and welcome him back to Nigeria.Read

Supporters and members of the All Progressives Congress will form part of the crowd.

His Director of Media and Publicity, Bayo Onanuga in a tweet on Monday confirmed that Tinubu would return today.

Onanuga noted that the ‘President-elect’ has been on vacation in France but SaharaReporters had exclusively reported that Tinubu fell ill after the March 18 governorship and State Assembly and was flown to France for medical treatment.

“Nigeria’s President-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu returns to Abuja today after weeks of a well deserved vacation in France. E kaabo! Se dada le de!” Onanuga tweeted.

However, despite the denials, SaharaReporters learnt that Tinubu’s ailment was so severe that for five days while being hospitalised, he could not speak and had to be intubated.

Intubation is a procedure required to help save a life when the patient cannot breathe.

It is a process where a healthcare provider inserts a tube through a patient’s mouth or nose, then down into their trachea (airway/windpipe). The tube keeps the trachea open so that air can get through. The tube can connect to a machine that delivers air or oxygen.

According to Cleveland Clinic, common conditions that lead to intubation include airway obstruction (something caught in the airway, blocking the flow of air); cardiac arrest (sudden loss of heart function); injury or trauma to your neck, abdomen or chest that affects the airway; loss of consciousness or a low level of consciousness, which can make a person lose control of the airway.

Others include the need for surgery that will make you unable to breathe on your own; respiratory (breathing) failure or apnea (a temporary stop in breathing) and risk for aspiration (breathing in an object or substance such as food, vomit or blood).

SaharaReporters also learnt that Tinubu’s tongue was reportedly sticking out during the time his condition was severe.  

“Tinubu’s ailment and health were in shambles before he left Nigeria to undertake treatment in a French hospital,” a source said.

“The sickness was so severe that for five days during his hospitalisation, he could speak and had to be intubated,” another source said.  

“His tongue was reportedly sticking out,” one of the sources added.

Meanwhile, aside from Onanuga, other aides to Tinubu and chieftains of his party – All Progressives Congress – have claimed the ‘President-elect’ is in Europe for vacation.

For instance, his media aide, Tunde Rahman, told the public four weeks ago in a statement that his principal had travelled to get some rest.

Rahman was reacting to an exclusive report by SaharaReporters that the ‘president-elect’ was ill and had travelled to Europe to seek medical treatment.

SaharaReporters reported that Tinubu travelled to Europe to seek medical care after the “hectic” electioneering that led to his emergence as the ‘President-elect’ and the tension that built up ahead of the March 18 Lagos State governorship and State Assembly elections where he also voted.

Responding to this, Rahman released a press statement where he claimed that “President-elect, Asíwájú Bola Tinubu, has travelled abroad to rest and plan his transition programme ahead of May 29, 2023 inauguration.”

Explaining the reason for the trip, Rahman said, “The president-elect decided to take a break after the hectic campaign and election season to rest in Paris and London, preparatory to going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and the Ramadan Fasting that begins Thursday.

“While away, the President-elect will also use the opportunity to plan his transition programme. He has directed all the senior aides and campaign staff to also go and observe a short rest. He is expected back in the country soon.

“We enjoin the media to stop publishing rumours and unsubstantiated claims and to always seek clarifications from our office.”

Meanwhile, because of the severity of his ailment, Tinubu could not travel to Saudi Arabia for lesser hajj as his aide, Rahman, had proposed in his statement.

Confirming this, one of the sources privy to Tinubu’s medical condition said he “could not go to Hajj as planned even though his aides shared old photos of him in Saudi Arabia”.

Indeed, SaharaReporters reported last week that the ‘President-elect’ was yet to arrive in Saudi Arabia to participate in this year’s Lesser Hajj a few days before the celebration of Eid-l-fitr in contrast to what his media aide told the public about four weeks ago.

Last Wednesday, one of Tinubu’s loyalists, Sam Omatseye tweeted a picture of Tinubu and President Muhammadu Buhari with the following caption: “ASIWAJU TINUBU. PRESIDENT ELECT AND PRESIDENT BUHARI AT MECCA, SAUDI ARABIA TODAY, APRIL 12, 2023.”

But when fact-checked, it was discovered that Omatseye had posted an old picture. It was taken in 2019, in the Presidential Villa in Abuja when Buhari hosted Tinubu for fast breaking. It was also in the month of Ramadan.

SaharaReporters also observed that the former Lagos governor was not seen among several Nigerian dignitaries, including politicians, who travelled to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.

When SaharaReporters called his aide, Tunde Rahman, last Monday morning to ask why his principal couldn’t be in Saudi Arabia as stated in the previous press release, he said, “I would get back to you on this.”

THIS STORY FIRST APPEARED IN SAHARA REPORTERS

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'Severe ailment made Tinubu unable to talk for days' - Sources

 

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