In a revelation detailed in his new book, ‘Reflections of a Special Adviser, Media and Publicity (2015-2023),’ former Special Adviser to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, Femi Adesina, disclosed a health scare he experienced during a foreign trip with the then-president.
Adesina attributed the near-collapse incident to stress from a lengthy 17-hour flight from Seoul, South Korea, where he had accompanied Buhari to the World Bio Summit organized by the World Health Organization in October 2022.
The former presidential aide shared, “The first thing that should have flashed an alarm bell in my mind was that when I got out of bed that morning, I staggered a bit. I did not give it much consideration and was at the event by the scheduled time. I had presented my paper for about 35 minutes and was concluding when I suddenly lost focus.”
During the seminar on Strategic Communication organized by the National Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Adesina, in distress, was guided to his seat by Dr. Peter Afunnaya, the spokesperson for the Department of State Services. Subsequently, he underwent a medical checkup at the Everight Diagnostic Centre in Abuja, where he recognized the need to prioritize his health.\
Adesina emphasized the importance of not pushing oneself to the breaking point, stressing the significance of health and well-being.
The book also recounted a turbulent experience in November 2015 when Buhari’s official jet almost crashed while en route to Malta for a Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. The presidential jet encountered severe turbulence and a challenging landing, prompting President Buhari to express concern about the ordeal.
Adesina provided a comprehensive overview of Buhari’s foreign trips during his eight-year term, listing 94 countries visited, with the highest number of trips occurring in 2016 and 2022. The former President embarked on the fewest trips in 2020 and concluded his term with a departure to his hometown of Daura, Katsina, on May 29, 2023.