Dec. 27, 2021

The Presidency has said there is nothing abnormal in President Muhammadu Buhari’s aides testing positive for COVID-19 because they are humans, the Presidency has said.

Mr. Femi Adesina, who is the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, stated this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.

“What I like to say is that presidential aides are humans,” he said in his response to a question about reports of the COVID-19 virus ravaging the Presidential Villa.

“They can fall sick, they can contract the virus, and the virus can also disappear.

“Presidential aides are just humans; if anything happens to human beings, it can also happen to presidential aides. The fact that we are presidential aides does not make us immune to certain things. If there is a virus that is ravaging society, well, it can touch anybody.”

Reports had emerged that some of President Buhari’s aides have gone into isolation after they tested positive for COVID-19. However, the number of those infected could not be ascertained.

Over the weekend, the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, confirmed to Channels Television that he was infected with the virus.

Despite being fully vaccinated, he disclosed that he had mild symptoms of the disease – a trait connected with the omicron variant, saying he has since gone into isolation and would go for further tests to ascertain his status.

Adesina, on his part, could not ascertain the actual number of presidential aides infected with the virus, although he affirmed Shehu’s status.

“That will not be within my purview to discuss, maybe if you get the presidential doctor or anybody on the medical side, they will tell you, I wouldn’t know because it is a private thing.

“If it happens to anybody, it’s between that person and possibly the doctor. It is not going to be general knowledge. So, I may not be able to say,” he said.

“So Mallam Garba Shehu has confirmed that, yes, he tested positive but he said it’s mild. And I believe that by now – because it happened since Wednesday – he should almost have beaten it if he has not beat it already. There is no cause for alarm.”

President Buhari’s spokesman also stated that the development in the villa has not in any way disrupted the President’s schedule and routine, as aides who test positive were required to stay away until they have recovered from the disease.

“Well, I think Mr. President is quite fine, he is doing his normal routine, following his normal schedule. But if anybody close to him tests positive, that person is required to stay away till he tests again, and he tests negative. Mr President just follows his normal schedule and routine,” he said.