All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu is hale and hearty, his ally, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi said yesterday.
Afikuyomi refuted the claim by Plateau State Governor Solomon Lalong that the absence of Asiwaju Tinubu at last Saturday’s Ondo State APC governorship rally was as a result of his ill-health.
In a statement, the one-time Lagos State commissioner described the claim credited to the Plateau State governor as incorrect.
Afikuyomi said: “I travelled to the United States of America with Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to witness the recent U.S. elections. We traversed a number of cities together where we engaged with a number of Nigerians who are genuinely concerned about the state of affairs in our dear country.
Jagaban was in a remarkable state of mental and physical wellness. When we ended our trip, I saw him off to the airport in Chicago from where he headed for Europe again. I still met with him in Europe thereafter.
“It is therefore absolutely incorrect and most embarrassing for anyone to attempt to invent such a laughable reason for Asiwaju Bola Tinubu’s absence at the rally. The fact that somebody went for medical check-up does not mean he is ill. In the likely event that Asiwaju, like all mortals, was ill at all, I doubt if Mr. Lalong would be the first to know by reason of relationship, proximity and trust.
“Prominent politicians like Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun have been speaking with Jagaban Tinubu.
“Governor Amosun particularly communicated with him a day before the Ondo rally and he can never claim not to have spoken with him. I have also remained in constant touch with Asiwaju Tinubu since my arrival in Nigeria. We speak daily as a matter of fact.
“I have been inundated with calls by friends, associates and other well-meaning Nigerians trying to ascertain the veracity of this ludicrous claim. I hereby ask all friends and lovers of Asiwaju Tinubu to dismiss the claim and know that he is hale and hearty.”
Asiwaju Tinubu, former APC Interim Chairman, Chief Bisi Akande and three governors from the South-west – Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Abiola Ajimobi (Oyo) and Akinwunmi Ambode (Lagos) – were not at the rally.
Governor Lalong had in his capacity as the Chairman of the Ondo State Governorship Campaign explained that Tinubu was absent at the rally due to ill health.
Lalong was quoted to have told State House Correspondents after visiting President Muhammadu Buhari that, “if a leader was not there and he said he was not there because of ill-health, we have prayed that God will heal him.”
Tag: hale
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Tinubu hale, hearty, says Senator Afikuyomi
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I’m hale and hearty, says Tracy Morgan
•Speaks for the first time since accident
Contrary to the fears being expressed in some quarters about his state of health following his recent involvement in an auto crash on June 7, American comedian, Tracy Morgan, has said that he is hale and hearty.
“It’s so sad to think that such a horrible thing happened to such a seemingly good-natured man. Every time we see him in the public, he’s telling jokes and acting ridiculous and always making people laugh. But now he has witnessed his dear friend’s death and suffered debilitating injuries. It’s very sad,” said a fan who commented on the Daily Mail site.
Morgan suffered broken a leg and ribs when the limousine van he was riding in was hit from behind by a Wal-Mart truck on the New Jersey Turnpike.
His friend, comedian James McNair, was killed in the crash, while he (Morgan) was initially moved to rehabilitation after being hospitalised with broken a leg and broken ribs.
Fellow comedians, Ardley Fuqua, Jeffrey and Krista Millea, who were passengers in the limo, are named as plaintiffs. Fuqua is also recovering from crash-related injuries.
The former ’30 Rock’ star, who spoke for the first time since leaving the rehabilitation facility, is suing Wal-Mart for negligence.
Morgan was said to have thanked a crowd of reporters applauding him outside his New Jersey home, flashing a grin and doing the peace sign to photographers as he left his Cresskill, New Jersey, in a black Lincoln Navigator.
He said to the crowd: “I’m OK, I feel strong. Love you, thank you very much.”
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Chime is hale, hearty, says official
•‘Governor on vacation’
The Enugu State Government yesterday said the reported illness of Governor Sullivan Chime is false.
It said the governor “is hale and hearty”.
The Commissioner for Information, Mr. Chuks Ugwuoke, who spoke in Enugu, explained that Chime was not receiving treatment in a foreign hospital, as a national newspaper reported.
According to him, the report is “cheap and mischievous” because the governor is on vacation, his first since he assumed office over five years ago.
The commissioner explained that contrary to the claim that the governor’s last public appearance was on September 9, “Chime had actually presided over the State Executive Council (Exco) meeting on September 18, where he announced that he was proceeding on his annual leave. He handed over to his deputy, Sunday Onyebuchi, who is today the Acting Governor”.
Ugwuoke said Chime also attended a meeting of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum in Abuja on September 19 and travelled abroad the next day for his vacation.
He added: “All these facts are verifiable.”
The commissioner noted that it was uncharitable for the “same reporter to falsely claim that the Acting Governor was limited in the discharge of his responsibilities”.
Ugwuoke wondered why a reporter would publish what he called outright falsehood about the governor’s health.
He said: “We want to reaffirm that the Sullivan Iheanacho Chime administration will continue to promote freedom of expression while also maintaining its cherished reputation of civility and accommodation of all shades of opinion, including constructive criticisms from the media and other quarters.”
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I’m hale, hearty, says Dickson
BAYELSA State Governor Seriake Dickson was in high spirits yesterday, fresh from a trip abroad.
He blamed his rumoured ill-health on detractors, saying he was never hospitalised contrary to speculations that he was admitted in the hospital.
Dickson arrived at the state capital from Abuja aboard a helicopter that touched down at the Government House helipad at about 6pm.
Returning to the warm embrace of top government offcials incluidng his deputy, John Jonah, Dickson, however, said he went through a mere medical check-up due to the stress he went through before and after he became governor.
He said: “ I was never hospitalised. Never hospitalised”, Dickson said.
“But you know, as usual, when you do this type of hectic thing, every year, every summer, most times when I travel out, we do regular checks, which is, you just do your sugar level….all those type of normal tests.
“Any time you travel, you just take advantage to do those things. I was never hospitalised, never in any hospital at all.”