Garba Shehu, former media aide to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, has dismissed claims by his former colleague, Femi Adesina, suggesting that Buhari’s frequent medical trips abroad were due to the failure of Nigeria’s healthcare system.

 

Speaking on Inside Sources, a Channels Television programme, Shehu clarified that the late President’s decision to seek medical attention overseas stemmed from personal preference and a long-established relationship with foreign specialists—not a rejection of Nigerian hospitals.

 

“It is wrong to assume that he fenced himself off from the Nigerian medical system,” Shehu stated. “He had a Nigerian doctor—a chief personal physician—and a State House Clinic led by a seasoned medical consultant. These professionals were always on hand to meet his immediate health needs.”

 

Shehu’s comments came in response to Adesina’s earlier assertion that Buhari would have died had he depended solely on Nigerian hospitals, citing inadequate medical expertise within the country.

 

While acknowledging that Buhari did travel abroad consistently for treatment, Shehu insisted that Nigerian-trained doctors remained part of his care team and emphasized that many Nigerian doctors are highly respected around the world.

 

He concluded by defending the late President’s healthcare choices, describing them as informed and grounded in trust built over time, rather than a condemnation of local medical services.