There was a mild drama at the Nnamdi Azikwe
International Airport, Abuja on Friday, as the Minister
of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-
Madueke, ran to catch up with the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari.
Both Buhari and the minister on Friday morning
travelled out of the country to London on the same
flight. One of our correspondents gathered that they
both boarded a British Airways flight that left the
airport at about 4.30am on its way to Heathrow
Airport, London.
But while Buhari was going to board his flight, a
mild drama took place at the airport.
Sources, who witnessed the drama, told one of our
correspondents that the minister raced in a bid to
catch up with Buhari, who had undergone airport
screening before her.
It was learnt that the President-elect, who reportedly
arrived the airport before the minister, was cleared
first and he went straight into the aircraft.
It was further gathered that when Diezani arrived the
airport and got news that Buhari had already boarded
the flight, she hurriedly ran to ensure that she
entered the plane.
In fact, sources at the airport stated that the
petroleum minister left behind her aides while
running to catch up with Buhari. A source on the
ground, who witnessed the drama, said, “The man
(Buhari) was at the front and had already passed the
screening team. And immediately the woman
(Diezani) came down, it was as if they told her that
the President-elect was already inside the aircraft,
so she started running. She even left her people
behind so that she could board the flight along with
the President-elect.
“This happened between 4am and 5am this (Friday)
morning and the airline involved was British Airways.
The flight was on its way from Abuja international
airport to Heathrow Airport, London.”
An online medium, Sahara Reporters, reported on
Friday that efforts of the minister, during the six-
hour flight, to speak with Buhari failed.
According to the report, the President-elect only
greeted Alison-Madueke during the boarding
process.
It stated that the minister allegedly tried many times
to stir a conversation with Buhari, but the latter
shunned her.
The flight was reported to have arrived at Heathrow
in London at 2:15pm, but the passengers
disembarked at 2:45pm. The Federal Ministry of
Petroleum Resources, refused to comment on the
issues when contacted.Calls to the mobile phone of
its spokesperson, Mr. Kingsley Agha, were ignored
while a text message to him was not replied.
He was asked to explain why the minister travelled
and her action at the airport.
But the media team of the President-elect issued a
statement saying his visit to Britain was private.
In a statement signed by the head of Buhari’s media
team, Malam Garba Shehu, this was the first of such
visit outside the country since winning the March
28th presidential election.
The statement, which was issued in Abuja on Friday,
partly read, “General Muhammadu Buhari will use the
opportunity of the visit to take a much-deserved rest
ahead of his inauguration on May 29.
“He is expected back in the country a few days
before the inauguration, refreshed and ready to hit
the ground running once he is sworn into office.”
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