A former presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, has refuted claims that late President Muhammadu Buhari solely depended on foreign doctors for his medical care during his tenure, insisting that Nigerian medical professionals played a central role in managing his health.
Shehu made the clarification during an appearance on Channels Television on Saturday, responding to a recent remark by Femi Adesina, another former presidential aide.
Adesina had suggested that Buhari’s survival during his prolonged health challenges was due largely to the intervention of foreign medical experts, citing deficiencies in Nigeria’s healthcare system.
Dismissing that assertion, Shehu stated that Buhari maintained a strong medical team of Nigerian professionals who attended to his daily health needs throughout his presidency.
“I think it is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system,” Shehu said. “He had a Nigerian doctor, a chief personal physician and a State House clinic also led by a medical consultant — a distinguished doctor of many years.”
While acknowledging Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad, Shehu explained that those visits were primarily due to the president’s longstanding personal medical arrangements with foreign doctors, and not out of distrust for Nigerian healthcare.
“It was not that he was disrespectful of Nigeria’s medical practice or that he didn’t believe in it. In fact, Nigerian-trained doctors are respected globally and practice in some of the best health systems in the world,” Shehu added.
The late President Buhari, who led Nigeria from 2015 to 2023, died on July 13, 2025, in a London hospital after a protracted illness. He was buried on July 15 at his Daura residence in Katsina State.
The recent debate has reignited public scrutiny over the medical choices of Nigerian leaders, especially in a country where public health infrastructure remains underfunded and overstretched.
Shehu’s remarks appear aimed at preserving the late president’s legacy amidst growing criticisms over his administration’s failure to revamp Nigeria’s health sector despite his personal medical challenges.
“The Nigerian doctors were always present to administer to his immediate needs. The fact that he still travelled abroad was simply a continuation of earlier health arrangements before he assumed office,” Shehu said.
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