The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari, returned Nigeria on Friday morning.
Buhari, who last week spoke at Chatham House in London, on Thursday last week was received by hundreds of supporters at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja.
A twitter campaign with the hashtag #GMBArrives was already trending as at the time of filing this report.
A message from former Federal Capital Territory Minister and Kaduna APC governorship candidate, Nasir el-Rufai, read “Baba Buhari is finally here the crowd is mad.”
It will be recalled that Buhari left the country on Thursday, February 19, 2015 for London.
But the trip sparked off arguments about his health status back in Nigeria with mainly the supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and President Goodluck Jonathan saying that he went for medical attention in London.
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, was particularly adamant that Buhari was critically ill and that the APC was lying about his state of health.
Buhari later appeared at the Royal Institute of Internal Affairs popularly called Chatham House, London on Thursday, February 26, where he delivered a lecture.
But arriving Nigeria at about 5:40 am aboard British Airways, Buhari who wore a black flowing kaftan with a flash of white shirt on the collar was ushered into the hands of waiting Journalists who had been keeping vigil since 4am at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Asked whether he went abroad to seek medical attention, Buhari said he took some time off the campaigns to get some rest.
“I just went off for a couple of weeks to rest. That’s all I did,” he said.
Pressed further by Journalists on whether he ever visited any hospital while holidaying in UK, he said “What is wrong for me to go the hospital? Am I not here now? Aren’t you seeing me? Are you seeing a sick man?
Also, on his appearance at the Chatham House, the APC presidential candidate said “I went to Chatham House. I read an address and there was a question and answer session. That’s all.”
Asked if his absence was a setback to his campaign, Buhari said: I don’t think so. One man does not make a party. Remember that some parties came together to form this party, so one man cannot make the party.”
Buhari who was accompanied back by his deputy campaign director-general, Senator Olurunnimbe Mamora was as well welcome by a horde of other APC chieftains and supporters at the airport
