The Vice-President of Nigeria, Yemi Osinbajo says many Nigerians are happy that President Muhammadu Buhari is hail and hearty and back in the country.
He said this while speaking with state house correspondents after a holding a meeting with the president.
As the president made his way from the airport to the presidential villa, supporters lined both sides of the road, chanting “Baba Oyoyo”. The had to order his convoy to stop in order for him to acknowledge his supporters.
Commenting on this, Osinbajo said:
“It was a natural reaction, most people heard of his arrival only a few hours before then, but as you can see, the response was so spontaneous. So, I think that people were so excited and very happy.
“Many Nigerians who lined up on the road to receive the president as he came back, many Nigerians are happy that the president is hail and hearty and that he has come back.”
Osinbajo said the recuperation of the president is an indication that the country would recover.
“The message to Nigerians is that the recovery and recuperation of the president is in some sense symbolic of the recovery of Nigeria,” he said.
“Nigeria is going to recover. We are on the path of strong economic recovery and this is an excellent sign that the country is on the right side. There is great hope, there is great excitement and we are going to make it as a nation.”
Nyesom Wike, governor of Rivers state, who was the only Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governor to welcome the president, said he was in Abuja to rejoice with the president.
“We are happy that he is alive. That is why l am here today to rejoice with the family,” he said.
“We should not play politics with everything. We are here talking about health, irrespective of the party l belong to, you can see that l am here today to rejoice with the family. That is how it is supposed to be. Don’t play politics with health issues, don’t do that. So, irrespective of what is going on out there, one is happy to be here.”
Buhari spent 103 days in the United Kingdom.
