Part of the reasons for the Monday meeting between President Muhammadu Buhari and leaders of both chambers of the National Assembly (NASS)- Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of the House of Representatives, earlier in the day became clearer later in the evening, with the Presidency announcing his travelling to keep an appointment with his doctors from Tuesday.
In a tweet on his official handle @MBuhari, the President wrote: “I will be traveling to the United Kingdom tomorrow, to see my doctor, at his request.
“(I) will be away four days; back in Abuja on Saturday, May 12.”
The President said he looks “forward to my two-day state visit to Jigawa State on Monday and Tuesday (May 14 and 15) next week, after my return.”
The visit was earlier postponed because of the ruling Al Progressive Congress (APC) ward congresses that took place across the country on Saturday, May 5.
Explaining further, Garba Shehu, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, wrote in a statement that “in the course of the technical stop-over for aircraft maintenance in London on his way back from Washington (U.S) last week, the President had a meeting with his doctor.
“The doctor requested the President to return for a meeting which he agreed to do,” Shehu stressed.
Commenting on his hosting of Saraki and Dogara soon after returning from Daura (his hometown), Buhari said he “briefed them on my recent trip to the U.S to meet with President (Donald) Trump, and we also discussed the 2018 budget.”
He promised to continue engaging the lawmakers “to resolve issues and ensure that our common goal of leadership and service, for the good of the country, is not undermined or sidetracked in any way.
“This leadership is what Nigerians elected us to deliver, and we will not let you down,” the President stressed.