Local Media Report
The PDP said this picture, posted on Twitter by Senator Bukola Saraki (far right), was photoshopped. The other people in the picture are (From Left to Right): Governor Ibikunle Amosun of Ogun, Muhammadu Buhari and Tony Blair, Senator Bukola Saraki.
The office of former British Prime Minister, Tony Blair, has confirmed he had a private meeting with the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Muhammadu Buhari, in London.
“Mr. Blair had a private meeting with General Muhammadu Buhari in London,” Rianne Buter told Abuja-based online medium Premium Times which had sent in an inquiry to ascertain the claims.
Buter confirmed the meeting held on Saturday and added that Blair “hopes to visit Nigeria shortly when he will see the President”.
There were speculations that a picture showing Blair, Buhari and Governor Ibikunle Amosun as well as a former Kwara state governor, Bukola Saraki, was photoshopped, Premium Times reports.
Mr. Buhari’s campaign office had stated that the former head of state was in the U.K. on a working visit.
However, Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti state and supporters of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party, are claiming that Mr. Buhari is in the UK for medical treatment.
To buttress their claim, some of the critics claimed Mr. Blair was not in the U.K. on Saturday and could therefore not have met Mr. Buhari.
The PDP also claimed Buhari was “dragged from a hospital bed to pose for the emergency photo.”
But such claims have now been debunked by Buhari’s UK host, Mr. Blair.
Buhari’s campaign office also issued a statement saying the APC candidate “would hopefully give a talk at the prestigious foreign policy hub, the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, in London.”
Chatham House has now confirmed that Mr. Buhari will speak Thursday on the topic: “Prospects for Democratic Consolidation in Africa: Nigeria’s Transition”.
Details of the event as posted on the website of Chatham House also revealed that Mr. Buhari would speak for one hour between 10 and 11a.m. and the event would be chaired by Richard Gozney, the British High Commissioner to Nigeria between 2004 and 2007.
Chatham House encourages interested persons to send questions to Mr. Buhari via Twitter.
“Send questions for the speaker by using #CHAfrica on Twitter. A selection will be put to him during the event,” it said.
