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His trip outside the country two weeks ago had sparked off a controversy, with the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its supporters alleging that Buhari was hospitalised in London for cancer treatment.
It will be recalled that the APC candidate had on February 19 left the country to address the Royal Institute Academy, London, otherwise known as Chatham House on the subject “Democracy in Nigeria”.
Fielding questions from journalists who kept vigil at the airport, Buhari, who arrived the international wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe Airport at exactly 5.45 am amidst fanfare and jubilation by supporters of his party who had thronged the airport to receive him, stated that he was alive and mentally alright, describing his trip abroad as a normal human exercise .
Buhari said, “I went to rest; that is all I did and I am here alive, hale and hearty.”
Speaking further, he noted that his absence did not affect the party campaigns, saying that APC is not owned by one person.
“One person doesn’t make a party; don’t forget that we are a number of opposition parties that came together to form APC, so no one owns the party; this party belongs to all of us.”
Meanwhile, the APC presidential campaign council director of media, Mallam Garba Shehu, said that the party will convene its town hall meeting scheduled to take place in Onitsha, Anambra State on Saturday March 7. He said the town hall meeting will afford General Buhari the opportunity to interact with the Anambra people.
Also, supporters of General Muhammadu Buhari have advised President Goodluck Jonathan to immediately call his wife, Mrs Patience Jonathan, to order, against the backdrop of her incessant attacks and unguarded comments on the APC presidential candidate.
The supporters of Gen Buhari were reacting to a widely reported statement credited to Mrs Patience Jonathan that Gen Muhammadu Buhari’s brain is dead.
The coordinator of Buhari Vanguard in Ondo State, Kayode Fakuyi in a statement said, “To say the least, the statement is less than intellectual, unguarded, provocative and an unnecessary distraction”.
“We are quite concerned about the statement credited to Mrs Jonathan that our leader and presidential candidate, Gen. Muhammadu Buhari has a dead brain. On the same day during the PDP women presidential campaign rally in Kogi State, Mrs Jonathan made other offensive and condemnable comments about GMB that are too awful to be quoted. “Even though, Nigerians have been made to assume that President Goodluck Jonathan cannot control his wife, we advise Mr President to summon the courage to call his wife to order.
“The ignominious statement made by Mrs Jonathan has caused embarrassment to GMB and his family, his followers, the APC family and vast majority of Nigerians but we are relieved that Nigerians have condemned the statement on various platforms and on the social media.
“For us, we will not reply insults with insults. Mrs Jonathan is not an issue in this presidential campaign so we won’t join issues with her. At best, Mrs Jonathan is just a distraction.
“Importantly, since she can’t deny the ignominious statement, Mrs Jonathan should retract it and apologise to Gen Muhammadu Buhari and Nigerians.
“Nigerians know the raison d’etre why Mrs Jonathan and co are terrified about a Muhammadu Buhari presidency. The trite and boring message of Mrs Jonathan in campaigns all over the country is that women should vote for her husband because Mr President has made women ministers of many ministries.
“Mrs Jonathan should tell Nigerians if the boring message of her campaign is worth the tax payers’ money she has deployed to fly all over the country and spent in organising her campaign rallies.
“We ask: of what benefit is the message to a hairdresser in Owo who needs to pay an exorbitant fee for epileptic power supply and increased fee for petrol that is readily unavailable? Of what benefit is the message to a fish seller who lives in Akure and made to bear the burden of marginal cost of transportation from Akure to Igbokoda where she buys fish?
“Of what importance is the message to women who live in Igbotako, who have not seen or enjoy power supply for over 1 year? Of what sense is the message to women who have been pauperised by the anti-people policies of this government? Certainly, women who struggle to eat thrice in 24 hours wouldn’t derive any succour from Mrs Jonathan’s tainted campaign messages.
“The 2015 presidential election is about two alternatives: continuity and change. Nigerians have the opportunity to either vote for continuity of corruption, bad economy and insecurity or vote change that will herald a peaceful and prosperous country.”
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