The Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Kaduna state, has denied report making the rounds that it ever discovered or treated the Presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari of any form of cancer, even as the party’s Presidential Campaign Organisation made it clear that all those who contested for party’s Presidential ticket are still working together for the purpose of winning the February general elections.
A statement by the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Campaign in Abuja, quoted the hospital sources as described as disdainful, distractive, mischievous, fake and fallacious the trending news report of an alleged prostate cancer condition of General Buhari.
“It (report of cancer) is untrue and condescending of its exponents. I have it on good authority that General Buhari has not visited the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital in the last five years. So, how can anyone say that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer last October, barely three months ago?” Garba Shehu, Director of Media and Publicity of the Campaign said.
“This is the highest point of political distraction, malice and mischief. The report was not only fake but unfounded. I have spoken to impeccable sources at ABUTH all of whom deny the report and also claimed that the letterhead used was not their regular one, and that Dr. Bala Mohammed that purportedly approved the false Medical Report is not on the personnel list of that department,” he said.
Garba Shehu quoted sources at ABUTH as saying also that “Medical Report analysis only come from Laboratory Technologists and not Medical Doctors as handwritten in this particular case, stressing that General Buhari did not attend the hospital for cancer or any other ailment.”
He dismissed as figment of the imagination of “wicked and evil persons,” rumour that General Buhari may be travelling to the United States towards the end of this month for medical check up.
Stressing that Genral Buhari is as fit as a fiddle, Garba Shehu dismissed the report as fabrications, adding however: “as a prominent leader of the opposition, many interests across the Globe want him (GMB) over for political and diplomatic consultations. The invitation to the US may not be unconnected to this.”
He also dismissed as utterly false and ridiculous allegations by the ruling PDP that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other former APC presidential aspirants, Sam Nda-Isaiah and Rabiu Kwankwaso have abandoned the APC Presidential Campaign.
Garba Shehu said that there was no iota of truth whatsoever that Atiku or other party stalwarts have distanced themselves from the campaign.
According to him, contrary to the deliberate falsehood being peddled by PDP, the former Vice President is currently out of the country for medical examination, and that he would be actively involved in the campaign once he is back to the country from next week.
Garba Shehu emphasized that Atiku’s commitment to the campaign in his native state, Adamawa and the nation “is total” and that “no amount of PDP’s desperate tactics of deliberate falsehoods would break the unity of the APC leaders.”
The campaign publicity chieftain said that the PDP allegation was a figment of their own imagination and that it was aimed at weakening the cohesion within the opposition members, adding that the “ruling party is increasingly nervous as the February 14 elections approaches.”
He advised Nigerians to ignore the “rubbish being peddled by the PDP.”
He said that it is well-known also that the former presidential aspirant, Sam Nda-Isaiah is currently on holiday in the United States of America.
He quoted Nda-Isaiah who spoke from the US over the weekend as saying: “I am working everyday from here to ensure total victory for the APC. I am in America, and I know what the media and the public officials are saying and that they expect a change in Nigeria because things cannot continue like this. They are very worried.
“I am in touch with Garba, Amaechi, party chairman, Kwankwaso and I am actually on my way to participate in the campaign to ensure that the change that Nigerians are earnestly desiring is enthroned in the February elections.”
Garba Shehu said that Governor Rabiu Kwankanso has consistently spoken of General Buhari’s emergence as a candidate, saying that he felt like it is his own personal victory.
“The Director of Media to Kwankwaso informed the APC Campaign that as at about 4:00PM (late yesterday afternoon), the Governor was on the stomp in Bichi Local Government asking for votes for Buhari, and that Kano will host the Presidential Campaign on Tuesday.”
The publicity chieftain asked the PDP-led federal government, which controls the Police and the army to concentrate on the duty of providing a safe environment for democratic elections throughout the country, especially in view of the continuing bombing of APC party offices in Rivers State. [myad]
