Buhari's return depends on medical tests on Monday: Presidency sources

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari will not return home from medical leave in Britain at the weekend, presidency sources said on Saturday, having previously told Reuters the ailing leader would be returning by then.

Buhari’s doctors said they will need to carry out testing on him on Monday, and the test results will determine when he returns to Nigeria, the sources said.

The president’s undisclosed ailment has left his deputy, Yemi Osinbajo, in charge. While the vice president has been praised for his activity in Buhari’s absence, pressure has been mounting on the government to sign off on key decisions such as the 2017 budget.

On Friday, the speaker of the lower chamber of parliament said the budget would be signed into law the following week, after months of delays despite promises for it to be passed before May.

Nigeria’s president, whose official age is given as 74, travelled to Britain last month for what his office described as medical tests. Officials have refused to disclose details of his condition. His first absence began in January and lasted nearly two months.

Reuters