Nigeria: President Muhammadu Buhari Returns

After spending about 103 days in the United Kingdom on medical vacation, President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday returned to the country.

His aircraft, Nigerian Air Force 001, touched down at the presidential wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 4:35pm.

Buhari alighted from the aircraft 17 minutes later, amidst cheers from his supporters whose chorus of Sai Baba reverberated the Abuja airport.

His wife, Aisha who had joined him in London as he was recuperating was not seen with him at the airport.

Without bothering to inspect the guards of honour as is the tradition, the president moved straight to shake hands with dignitaries who had lined up at the airport to receive him.

They included Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mohammed Bello and service chiefs.

Among the governors who were also on ground to receive him were Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Abdulaziz Yari (Zamfara), Muhammed Abubakar (Bauchi), Abubakar Bello (Niger), Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) and Barnabas Bala, deputy governor of Kaduna.

Babagana Monguno, National Security Adviser and Lawal Daura, Director-General, Department of State Security (DSS) and other top government aides were also on ground to receive the president.

Buhari opted to drive from the airport to the presidential villa against speculations that he would be conveyed by a chopper that was already strategically parked at the presidential wing.

Though the president's return was announced only on Saturday morning through a press statement by his spokesman, Femi Adesina, his teeming supporters were able to mobilize themselves to line up at the airport road to cheer his convoy.

It took the effort of security personnel who were able to control the mammoth crowd that almost blocked the airport road to get the president to Aso Rock in good time.

Adesina had noted in the statement that the president will address the nation on Monday upon official resumption of duty.

LEADERSHIP Sunday gathered that issues bordering on hate speech, the quit notice issued Igbos living in the North and the growing agitations for secession that overheat the polity, while dominating the country's public space in his absence are some of the major things the president will address in his broadcast at 7:00am tomorrow.

The medical vacation to United Kingdom which took the President away for more than hundred days was the second he had embarked on this year.

Before his surprise return on Saturday, there had been mounting protest by citizens both at home and abroad that he either resumed work or resigned his position as president.

When asked if the protest by Charly Boy was responsible for the president's return, Adesina said the return of the president had nothing to do with the protest, adding that it was about continuing with the work he started.

"Some of us knew about his return some days back. Remember that the acting President held on effectively and they will continue the work together. We left the work of announcement with the managers of the acting president.

Buhari's Recovery Hope Nigeria Will Recover- Osinbajo