Call for ill president to quit

NIGERIA’S President Muhammadu Buhari faced a fresh call to quit yesterday, nearly two months after he left the country on indefinite sick leave.

“I want to say that it’s time that the president throws in the towel and resigns and allows his country to move forward,” Ekiti state governor Ayo Fayose said.

Buhari, 74, has not been seen since May 7, when he left Abuja for London to undergo treatment for an undisclosed medical condition.

He had previously spent nearly two months in the British capital in January and February, returning to Abuja looking gaunt and frail.

On Sunday, a recorded message purportedly from Buhari was issued to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, in which he sounded tired and weak.

Fayose, an outspoken member of the main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP), took out newspaper advertisements before the 2015 election claiming Buhari would die in office.

He also said the former military ruler was too old to be president.

At a news conference on Wednesday, Fayose repeated unconfirmed claims that Buhari was terminally ill.

Buhari’s All Progressives Congress (APC) has challenged Fayose to provide proof to back up his claims.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo has officially been handed the role of acting president, but Buhari’s absence has brought forward jostling for position for the 2019 presidential election. – AFP