by Alexander O. Onukwue

The Special Assistant to President Buhari on media and publicity, Femi Adesina, has set off a countdown timer till the President would require another foreign medical trip.

Speaking on Channels TV, Mr Adesina said that the President could only lead the country if he was healthy and that there would be nothing stopping him from going abroad again if the situation should call for it.

“We want to hope and believe that the worst is over” was Mr Adesina’s way of praying that the President would not require another extended absence in London because even he must know how much of an inconvenience it would pose for the nation.

It has been anything but an easy resumption day for Buhari, with eyebrows raised that he is working from home under the pretext of an renovation of his office. It does not add up because if they had been expecting that he would return this weekend, this should have been done two weekends ago while the aides were couriering the ‘Get Well’ card to Abuja House. Was he truly due to return or did the vigil of the #ResumeorResign really stand a good chance of causing an embarrassment?

Unlike when he returned from the first medical trip in March this year, President Buhari did not make any allusions as to how sick he had been. He only stated that he was “so glad to be home”. But after hearing from Mr Adesina and reading between the lines, it will not be surprising to learn that he is yet to fully unpack.

October 1 is building up to be a day to bear more significance than just the 57^th commemoration of Independence. Threats and counter threats are buzzing like bees around a honeycomb. At such periods when a nation should have its key figure, will the President be in the country to show leadership over the situation?