BBC Pidgin of Saturday, 22 April 2023
Source: BBC
Nigerians dey ask wia dia president-elect Bola Ahmed Tinubu dey as dem neva see am for di kontri for some time.
Tinubu dey await inauguration on 29 May as President Muhammadu Buhari go officially hand over power to am. Na di former Lagos govnor di Independent National Electoral Commission declare as winner of di 2023 presidential election.
Some Nigerians go as far as speculating say Tinubu bin travel out of Nigeria for surgery.
Di last time Nigerians see di president-elect na as parties dey prepare for di 18 March governorship election for di kontri.
On 22 March im media pesin, Tunde Rahman say oga Tinubu don carry waka go abroad to “rest, prepare to go to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and plan im transition programme” ahead of May 29, 2023 inauguration.
Rahman tell tori pipo to mind wetin dem dey report about im oga.
“Di president-elect decide to take a break afta di campaign and election season wey dey serious to rest for Paris and London, preparatory to going to Saudi Arabia for Umrah (Lesser Hajj) and di Ramadan Fasting wey dey start Thursday,” e tok for statement.
Wia Tinubu dey?
Di Director of Media for di All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council tell BBC Pidgin di same tin wey Rahman tok for im March statement.
Oga Bayo Onanuga say di president-elect dey France dey relax bifor im begin im new assignment wey go start on 29 May.
E say no be true say Tinubu dey France for surgery as im add say di president-elect bin don announce bifor im leave for di European kontri.
“E no go dia for any surgery. Bola Tinubu dey France to keep imsef away from di hectic nature of dis kontri bifor im begin di new task.
"You fit call am a vacation. Many pipo don go dia to meet am,” Onanuga tok.
Di campaign tok-tok pesin say Tinubu Special Adviser on Communications Dele Alake, di Lagos State Govnor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and im Deputy Femi Hamzat bin visit Tinubu for France dis week.
E add say Vice President-elect Kashim Shettima also see Tinubu for France last week.
Onanuga say im no sabi wen Tinubu dey come back to Nigeria.
Why pipo dey make Tinubu absence big deal?
Political analyst Olalekan Ige tell BBC Pidgin say Nigerians get right to make Tinubu absence a big deal sake of say according to di presidential election results, majority of di voters cast dia votes for di APC presidential candidate.
E say sake of say Tinubu na di kontri President-elect, e no be private citizen again and im get mandate wey belong to majority Nigerians.
However, oda pipo make Tinubu absence big deal sake of say dem believe say di President-elect dey seek and im dey hide im ailment from Nigerians.
Culture of keeping ailment secret
Tinubu don repeatedly maintain say im dey healthy and im dey fit to lead Nigeria.
But im critics still neva change dia mind on speculation say im dey battle undisclosed ailment.
Na so outgoing president Muhammadu Buhari tok until im begin travel abroad for medical care. For 2021 president Buhari spend six months abroad for medical reasons.
Although Tinubu camp don clear di air about im health status, saying e no dey suffer from any ailment, Nigerians don see dis kain tin bifor.
Nigerians dey wonder why public office holders wey dem elect go rather hide di ailment wey dem dey suffer instead of disclosing am.
Ige tok say no provision of di Constitution of di Federal Republic of Nigeria mandate any public office holder to tok any sickness wey dem get.
E say e dey at di discretion of di public office holders to tok di sickness wey dey worry dem or keep am secret.
Olalekan Ige however, tok say some public office holders suppose dey tok wetin dem dey battle wit sake of di responsibility wey Nigerians don give dem.