Buhari Needs ‘Longer Period of Rest’ Says Presidency

• Buhari Needs ‘Longer Period of Rest’ Says Presidency

The presidential office on Tuesday said President Muhammadu Buhari needs more rest, even after spending a month in the U.K. for medical checks.

“Tests showed he needed a longer period of rest,” presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said in an e-mailed statement Tuesday. He didn’t say when the president is expected back in Nigeria.

The statement read, President Muhammadu Buhari thanks millions of Nigerians who have been sending good wishes and praying for his health and well-being in mosques and churches throughout the country.

The President is immensely grateful for the prayers, show of love and concern.

President Buhari wishes to reassure Nigerians that there is no cause for worry.

Buhari, 74, traveled to the U.K. on Jan. 19 for medical tests and was scheduled to return on Feb. 5. While government officials have shared pictures of him in London, the president hasn’t appeared or spoken in public for more than a month after asking lawmakers for medical leave.

His absence is heightening concern about government paralysis in Nigeria at a time when the economy is in recession and the stock market is sliding.