Abdulsalami Abubakar: Presidency Says No Cause For Alarm

By Gideon Njoku

The Presidency has said there is no more cause of alarm over the health status of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.

News broke Monday morning to the effect that the former Head of State had suffered a serious set back in his health, and was flown out of the country for proper medical attention.

Abubakar, it was reported, was first flown to Dubai but had to be relocated to London for a more aggressive attention than he was getting in Dubai when there was little or no improvement in his condition.

The reports alleged that he had suffered stroke.

But the Presidency, in a Post on the verified Facebook page of a Presidential Spokesman, Garba Shehu, said General Abdulsalami has been discharged from the hospital and was relaxing in a London apartment.

Garba said he had just visited the former Head of State in London and he was no longer, apparently, in any serious condition.

Said Garba’s Post:

“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.”

General Abubakar handed over power on May 29, 1999, to a Civilian Government headed by President Olusegun Obasanjo after years of Military Rule.

He took over from General Sani Abacha when Abacha suddenly died in office. Since then, he has been working hard on deepening peace and democracy in Nigeria.