By Alao Abiodun

Social media was agog on Thursday over images of former Vice President Atiku Abubakar receiving a jab of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.

Dele Momodu on Twitter, shared pictures showing Atiku receiving the jab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

Momodu’s tweet read: “Former Vice President, the Wazirin Adamawa, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar receives Pfizer Covid-19 jab vaccination.”

Atiku’s spokesman Paul Ibe confirmed the news, according to TheCable, saying: “The importance of the #COVID-19 vaccine in mitigating the effect of the coronavirus cannot be overstated, particularly in Africa and Nigeria. Yesterday (Wednesday), as part of the mass vaccination programme, Atiku Abubakar received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.”

Pfizer vaccine is the first to be granted emergency use authorisation by the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to Pfizer and BioNTech, it is 90 per cent effective.

Read Also: ‘No cause for worry about safety of COVID-19 vaccines’

Here are few social media reactions culled from Twitter:

@rotifassy said: “As correctly predicted few months ago. This “vaccine tourism” will soon become the norm for Nigerian elites.”

@Ndubuisi_Rita said: “Protecting himself and forgetting the masses that he will need their votes.”

@sunybest4 said: “Plenty of Nigerians have no access to good vaccines. The rich will always be the cheat.”

@45thchucks said: “He should’ve received it here in Nigeria to show his patriotic Nigerian spirit. Nigerian leaders always prefer overseas medical treatment while ignoring Nigerian infrastructure and institutions.”

@Kachizone said: “What’s the president waiting for? Isn’t it leadership by example?”

@Bodeowoeye said: “I learnt Alhaji @atiku ran to Dubai to go receive Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine at the expense of his teeming #SoroSoke followers. Again, the former VP left his followers in the cold, to fight for their lives themselves, all alone. Where is Alhaji Atiku sense of patriotism?”