Buhari could’ve died earlier if he used Nigerian hospitals – Adesina

Former presidential spokesman Femi Adesina has weighed in on the ongoing debate surrounding the death of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who passed away in a London hospital, defending the late leader’s reliance on foreign medical care.

Speaking during a live broadcast on Channels Television as part of the special funeral coverage, Adesina addressed widespread criticism over Buhari’s long history of seeking treatment abroad—particularly in the United Kingdom, where he ultimately died at the age of 82.

Adesina dismissed the backlash, saying critics were “missing the bigger picture” by focusing on the location of Buhari’s death rather than the medical realities he faced.

“President Buhari had been using London hospitals for years, even before he assumed office. His doctors over there were familiar with his history,” Adesina said.

He added that expecting the former president to abandon the doctors who understood his condition would have been unreasonable.

According to Adesina, many Nigerian hospitals do not have the medical expertise or advanced equipment necessary to handle the health challenges Buhari faced.

“Let’s be honest with ourselves: if he had depended on our local hospitals for that particular health issue, he may not have survived it. And perhaps, we would have lost him a long time ago,” he stated.

GazettePost reports that Buhari, who died in a London hospital on Sunday, July 13, is being buried Tuesday in his hometown of Daura, Katsina State, with full state honours.