Abdulsalami Stable In UK, Says Presidency

The Presidency yesterday allayed fears on the health of former Head of State Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar.

Gen. Abdulsami was flown abroad for medical reasons, fuelling anxiety that he was critically ill.

But the Presidency said the one-time leader was stable and recuperating in a private apartment in the UK after treatment.

Gen. Abdulsalami, 80, was head of state between 1998 and 1999 when he handed over power to President Olusegun Obasanjo.

The update on his health was provided by President Muhammadu Buhari’s Special Assistant on Media and Publicity Mallam Garba Shehu.

In a series of tweets @GarShehu yesterday, he tweeted “there is no cause for alarm”.

According to Shehu, he visited Abubakar, who had already left the hospital and taken to an apartment.

The tweets: “Alhamdu Lillahi for Allah’s mercy. I just ended a visit to His Excellency Abdulsalami Abubakar, former Head of State. He is out of hospital in a London apartment and apparently in no serious condition.

“He was his jovial self, maintaining a keen interest in developments back at home in Nigeria. Please, no cause for alarm.”

The former head of state has been out of public glare in recent time.

His 80th birthday on June 13 was low-keyed.

Also last Wednesday, General Abdulsalami could not lead the National Peace Committee (NPC) to Ado-Ekiti for the signing of peace pact by political parties and their candidates in the governorship election.

Gen. Abdulsalami, who is the Chairman of the NPC, was represented by the Catholic Bishop of of Sokoto Diocese, Dr. Matthew Hassan Kukah at the event where candidates signed undertaken to be peaceful before, during and after the election.

The election, which held last Saturday, was won by All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.