SAN FRANCISCO, July 28, (THEWILL) – Barely 48 hours after joining six of his colleagues in visiting President Muhammadu Buhari in London, Governor Udom Emmanuel of Akwa Ibom State has met behind closed doors with the Acting President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Buhari has been on vacation in the United Kingdom where he has been receiving medical attention since May 7.
At the end of his meeting with Osinbajo on Friday, Emmanuel told State House correspondents that his interaction with Buhari in London showed that God has answered Nigerians’ prayers over the President.
When asked if he has any inkling of when Buhari is expected back to the country, Emmanuel said he could not do so because he is not a doctor.
He also stated that there is no need to focus on the day the President will return, stressing that what should matter is the fact that God has healed Buhari.
The governor said, “I am not a medical doctor. Let me say something here, even when you have a biological father, you love your father, you take interest in his well being.
“I mean, as a father to the nation, in my personal opinion, I don’t think that is the issue now. The issue is that we should thank God that God has answered our prayers, that is where I am coming from.”
“Let me thank God for the life of the President and thank God for Nigerians too. I also appreciate Nigerians who have prayed sincerely and earnestly for Mr. President and I think God has actual answered the prayers of Nigerians.
“From what you could see from the photographs, you could see that God has actually answered our prayers, so some of us were quite excited to see Mr. President.
“He welcomed us, discussed with us and he was also happy to see us.
“So, what you are seeing both on television and newspapers are genuine and correct. God has actually healed our President and we thank God for that.”
“Let me also say, some of us behave as if the President and the governors are super humans.
“We are normal human beings, we also have challenges. So let us not think that because we are governors or President, we are superhuman.
“We are not God, we are mere mortals like any of us here. So that should also make us play down on the way we look at certain issues.”
While refusing to divulge the details of the discussion the governors had with Buhari, he assured Nigerians that the discussion was in the interest of the nation.
“I don’t think when you hold meeting, even with your wife and children, you will come and make that public.
“The President is the father of the nation and we represent the sub-units of this nation and so it is not everything that we discussed that we should just come and say.
“It was a closed door meeting, but be assured that whatever the President will discuss with the governors will be in the best interest of all the citizens of this country,” he said.
