Former presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, has said that ex-President Muhammadu Buhari may not have survived his health challenges if he had relied solely on Nigeria’s healthcare system.

Speaking on Channels Television on Tuesday ahead of Buhari’s state funeral, Adesina defended the former president’s frequent medical trips to the United Kingdom, describing them as a matter of survival rather than luxury.

“Buhari always had his medicals in London, even before he became president,” Adesina stated. “Those doctors had been managing him for years and understood his medical history.”

He argued that changing medical teams during a critical health episode would have been risky and possibly fatal, especially given the limitations of Nigeria’s healthcare system at the time.

Adesina insisted that the decision to seek medical care abroad was based on professional expertise and not a lack of patriotism. “He could have long been dead if he had insisted on staying in Nigeria for treatment,” he added.

He further emphasized that Buhari’s ability to govern hinged on receiving continued care from his UK-based medical team.

Addressing criticisms of the foreign medical trips, Adesina urged Nigerians to consider the broader context. “He needed to stay alive to lead and help build a country where that kind of expertise can eventually be available,” he said.