The news about secret and rather abrupt trip to London by the president-elect, Muhammadu Buhari, surprised several of his political associates, as they were unaware of his plans to go abroad.
When asked if the president-elect had any problems with health that might have required urgent travel, they insisted that Buhari appears to be healthy.
Recall that the president-elect left Abuja with controversial Diezani Alison-Madueke, the minister of petroleum resources.
Meanwhile, anonymous sources have told Sahara Reporters that although Alison-Madueke made efforts to speak with Buhari aboard the British Airways aircraft, the president-elect only greeted her during the boarding process and then quickly settled into his seat 2K in first class.
It was gathered that the minister had somehow booked a seat 3K, seating directly behind the president-elect. During the flight Alison-Madueke had reportedly tried to start a conversation with Buhari, but he only nodded and let her get back to her seat without permitting any dialogue.
Other Nigerian dignitaries in the first class compartment included Sam Amadi, the chairperson of the National Electricity Commission, Senator Philip Adida, Segun Awolowo and Hakeem Bello-Osagie, who sat in 4K directly behind Diezani.
The flight arrived Heathrow in London at 2:15p.m. local time, but the passengers didn’t disembark until 2:45pm due to delays at the airport. Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, the Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, was meeting Buhari at the airport.
It would be recalled, that Minister Alison-Madueke was originally scheduled to travel to the UK on May 26 as she is billed to address the Nigerian Senate on Monday regarding the fuel scarcity crisis.
However, upon hearing about Buhari’s trip, she called the airline to book her on the same flight with the president-elect, allegedly hoping to have a direct discussion with the man who in a week takes over the governance of Nigeria.
Meanwhile, the news that Buhari left Abuja with controversial minister Alison-Madueke triggered mixed reactions among Nigerians.
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