Last night’s secretive and rather abrupt trip to London by Nigeria President-Elect Muhammadu Buhari caught several of his political associates unawares, several of them learning about it only when we broke the story.
Asked if the President-Elect had any health issues that may have required urgent travel overnight, they insisted he appears to be healthy.
Meanwhile, sources have told SaharaReporters that the efforts by the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Diezani Alison-Madueke, to speak with Buhari aboard the British Airways aircraft failed abysmally as the President-Elect only greeted her during the boarding process and then quietly settled into his seat 2K in First Class. The embattled Minister, SaharaReporters learnt, had somehow booked herself into seat 3K, seating directly behind Buhari on the six-hour flight.
Our sources said she rose up a few times and tried to stir up a conversation with the President-Elect, but that he only nodded and let her get back to her seat without permitting any dialogue. The flight arrived Heathrow in London at 2:15p.m. local time, but the passengers didn’t disembark until 2:45pm due to delays at the airport.
Other Nigerian dignitaries in the First Class compartment of the flight included the chairperson of the National Electricity Commission, Sam Amadi, as well as Senator Philip Adida, Segun Awolowo, and Hakeem Bello-Osagie, who sat in 4K directly behind Diezani.
When the airline crew announced passenger disembarkation, Buhari asked if Diezani had any of her bags in the overheard compartment so he could step out of her way. It then turned out she had occupied the entire overheard compartments with several of her carry-on bags, traveled with two of her aides also in First Class. Buhari was reportedly traveling with only one aide.
The Nigerian High Commissioner to the UK, Dalhatu Sarki Tafida, met Buhari at the airport.
As SaharaReporters reported earlier, Minister Alison-Madueke was originally scheduled to travel to the UK next Tuesday as she is billed to address the Nigerian Senate on Monday regarding the fuel scarcity crisis. Our source disclosed that upon learning of Mr. Buhari’s trip, she booked herself on the same flight in the hope of an opportunity of a direct discussion with the man who takes over the governance of Nigeria one week from today. Her Ministry, reputed as being one of the most corrupt, is likely to be among the first to come under Buhari’s scrutiny.
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I have been reporting on latest news from Nigeria for almost 10 years now. I report on every possible news area I come across, but always ensure my reports are compiled with dignity and fact to uphold my personal values and duty as a journalist
Posted: at 23-05-2015 08:02 AM (9 years ago) | Addicted Hero
paulohking at 23-05-2015 08:11 AM (9 years ago) (m)
OK
Posted: at 23-05-2015 08:11 AM (9 years ago) | Hero
freethinker at 23-05-2015 08:55 AM (9 years ago) (m)
INSTEAD SAHARAREPORTERS WILL TELL US WHY HIS PAY MASTER IS TRAVELLING TO LONDON A FEW DAYS BEFORE INAGURATION, THEY ARE DISTRACTING NIGERIANS FROM THE VERY RELEVANT QUESTION BUHARI IS PRESIDENT ELECT HE SUPPOSED TP LET NIGERIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHY HE IS MAKING THIS TRIP, SAHARAREPORTERS SHOULD DO MORE INTELLIGENT REPORTING, AND STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH.
Posted: at 23-05-2015 08:55 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
freethinker at 23-05-2015 08:57 AM (9 years ago) (m)
Quote from: freethinker on 23-05-2015 08:55 AM
INSTEAD SAHARAREPORTERS WILL TELL US WHY HIS PAY MASTER IS TRAVELLING TO LONDON A FEW DAYS BEFORE INAGURATION, THEY ARE DISTRACTING NIGERIANS FROM THE VERY RELEVANT QUESTION BUHARI IS PRESIDENT ELECT HE SUPPOSED TP LET NIGERIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHY HE IS MAKING THIS TRIP, SAHARAREPORTERS SHOULD DO MORE INTELLIGENT REPORTING, AND STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH.
INSTEAD SAHARAREPORTERS WILL TELL US WHY HIS PAY MASTER IS TRAVELLING TO LONDON A FEW DAYS BEFORE INAGURATION, THEY ARE DISTRACTING NIGERIANS FROM THE VERY RELEVANT QUESTION BUHARI IS PRESIDENT ELECT HE SUPPOSED TO LET NIGERIANS KNOW EXACTLY WHY HE IS MAKING THIS TRIP, SAHARAREPORTERS SHOULD DO MORE INTELLIGENT REPORTING, AND STOP BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH.
Posted: at 23-05-2015 08:57 AM (9 years ago) | Gistmaniac
jasperjahsy at 23-05-2015 09:05 AM (9 years ago) (m)
I ve stopped reading news from sahara rephyukers. don't know why they channeled it to naijapals. pls naijapals block any news coming from this source or.......
Posted: at 23-05-2015 09:05 AM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
emmanchima at 23-05-2015 10:22 AM (9 years ago) (m)
Saharareporters are very good in instituting problem and hatred in Nigeria.If Buhari likes,he can travel alone,that is his choice.And this woman is not worst than other past ministers of petroleum from North and West.Eg OBJ.........
Blanco
Posted: at 23-05-2015 10:22 AM (9 years ago) | Newbie
Look at bunch of biased Igbo vagabonds responding to this thread. Instead of responding to the allegation of their Igbo sister thief, all they can do is make comments of how Yoruba and Hausa are evil. Bunch of wasted generation, the most evil tribe
Posted: at 23-05-2015 05:03 PM (9 years ago) | Upcoming
Amalgamation6 at 23-05-2015 06:22 PM (9 years ago) (m)
At times when I read comments here I wonder the kind of people on this site.Are they not ordinary Nigerians like the rest of us why r they hell bent on supporting these people that have plunged the country into o much mess & misery simply because they r from a particular part of the country? Why insult Sahara reporters for bringing us news about how this woman planned to hood wink & bewitch GMB just as she succeeded in doing to GEJ?God who sees the suffering of the masses will not allow her & others like her succeed IJN
Posted: at 23-05-2015 06:22 PM (9 years ago) | Newbie