National Leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former governor of Lagos State, Chief Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has relived his health challenges, saying he went through excruciating pains in the prescribed physiotherapy that followed a knee surgery.
He particularly described the physiotherapy experience as “gruesome”.
He spoke while addressing members of the House of Representatives’ northern caucus that visited him in London at the weekend.
The former governor has been recuperating in the United Kingdom in the last three months, after the surgery.
Reliving his experience, a chirpy Tinubu said, “Because of God and people like you, I am well. It is just the physio (physiotherapy) that is gruesome.”
Ever since he has been in London, prominent Nigerian politicians, relations, friends and associates have been flocking his home on get-well and solidarity visits.
Among those who came calling are: President Muhammadu Buhari; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila; Governors Abdullahi Ganduje (Kano), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Rotimi Akeredolu (Ondo), and Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), and former Ogun Governor Ibikunle Amosun.
Meanwhile, Fayemi, the Ekiti State governor, has opened up on his London visit to Tinubu, against the backdrop of accusations that he went there to spy on Tinubu’s state of health, with regard to the latter’s ability to contest for President in 2023.
Fayemi, said to be on Aso Rock radar regarding President Buhari’s successor come 2023, had visited Tinubu in London, in company with his Ondo State counterpart, Rotimi Akeredolu.
Some political observers, claiming to have seen through the smokescreen, averred that Fayemi was on a spy mission, to know if Tinubu, currently in the race for 2023 Presidency, had become infirm.
Alluding to the speculation, a security consultant to Rauf Aregbesola, the Interior Minister and a Tinubu acolyte, Oladipupo Okeyomi, disclosed to First News that some presidential hopefuls’ London visits were suspect.
“Markedly, two of Tinubu’s London visitors from the Southwest have presidential ambition and they see a possible emergence of Tinubu as the end of their ambition.
“So, they actually went to visit him in London to spy; they want to know if he is physically fit or not,” Okeyomi said.
Meanwhile, Amosun who also went on the London tour to greet Tinubu, is also touted as one of the persons being considered in the 2023 succession permutation, especially considering his closeness to President Muhammadu Buhari.
However, Fayemi has cleared the air on why he and Akeredolu went together, to greet Tinubu in London.
He sneered at insinuations that the visit was connected to the 2023 presidential race or that he went there on espionage mission.
Speaking in a recent television programme, Fayemi had said, “He (Akeredolu) and I were in London together to see our leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, but it had absolutely nothing to do with 2023 presidential plans whatsoever. That’s not the reason why we went there.
“Asiwaju had just surgery, it is simply proper etiquette or behaviour both in the part of the country where I come from but also generally that when a friend and elder is undergoing health challenges, it would be improper on your part not to show solidarity and support.
“That is simply what took us there; we wanted to associate ourselves with him at a time of need and as an elder, mentor and a big figure in our political party.
“Nothing wrong in paying him a courtesy visit to check on him to see how he was faring and we did that and we returned.
“It has nothing to do with 2023; let me make that absolutely clear,” he reiterated.