In a quiet move earlier this week, President Bola Tinubu reportedly asked Vice President Kashim Shettima to travel to London from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, to check on former President Muhammadu Buhari, who is currently receiving medical care in a London hospital.

Vice President Shettima had travelled to Ethiopia on the invitation of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed to attend the launch of the Green Legacy Initiative. While there, he also looked into Ethiopia’s success in farming and agriculture.

According to sources, once Tinubu received word that Buhari had been admitted to a hospital, he immediately contacted Shettima and instructed him to visit the former leader in London and report back to him.

Recently, news broke that Buhari had fallen ill and was receiving treatment abroad. This raised concerns, especially with rumors that he had been moved to an intensive care unit.

In response, Buhari’s former aide on digital communication, Bashir Ahmad, confirmed that Buhari was not feeling well but stressed that his condition was not as serious as some reports made it seem. He added that the 81-year-old was responding well to treatment and was on the road to recovery.

Ahmad also posted on X (formerly Twitter), saying that Buhari was stable, not in ICU, and thanked the public for their kind messages and prayers.

Still, President Tinubu wanted confirmation of Buhari’s health directly and sent Shettima to check on him and offer any help needed to improve his condition.

Sources said Shettima arrived in London in the early hours of Monday, visited Buhari in the hospital, passed on Tinubu’s good wishes, and even helped the two former and current presidents speak over the phone.

It was also revealed that Shettima stopped by to visit former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, who is also believed to be receiving treatment in London.

Despite all this, the visit was not announced publicly. When journalists asked Stanley Nkwocha, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media (Office of the Vice President), he confirmed that Shettima had gone to London but said it was a private trip. He claimed he didn’t know if the VP met Buhari or Abdulsalami.

Nkwocha explained that since the visit was personal, he didn’t have access to details of Shettima’s meetings and so couldn’t confirm anything about them.

It’s worth remembering that during Buhari’s time as President, his health was a big topic in Nigeria. He frequently travelled to London for medical care, including one stretch where he stayed abroad for over three months.