COVID-19: Presidential Aides Test Positive

There is palpable fear in the Aso Villa that a number of presidential aides have reportedly tested positive to COVID-19 and are currently on self-isolation.

Among those reported by Premium Times on Saturday as having contracted the virus are the Permanent Secretary in the State House, Tijani Umar; the President’s Aide-de-camp (ADC), Yusuf Dodo; his Chief Security Officer (CSO), Aliyu Musa, and his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

According to the online newspaper, the results from the affected individuals were confirmed positive during the week, even as it further reported that the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, is also among those down with the virus.

However, none of the aides is thought to be seriously affected by the virus given their fully vaccinated status for now.

The report also quoted the presidential spokesman, Mallam Shehu as saying: “I have no confirmation of the cases you mentioned, but yes I have been afflicted by the mild variant of the COVID-19.

“I felt okay from the beginning, maybe because one had received all three jabs, and right now, I feel 100 per cent. I just finished my hour-long running exercise. But the strange thing about this ailment is that it is the scientists, not you, that will say you are okay.

“Right now, I’m taking my prescriptions and isolating and would go back for a test to ascertain if the virus is still here or it has left me. Thanks for your goodwill.”

Testing had recently been ramped up in the Presidential Villa in the wake of the Omicron variant to ensure the virus is effectively contained.

Just a few days back, Nigeria’s First Lady, Dr. Aisha Muhammadu Buhari had, after returning from Istanbul, Turkey, directed the closure of her office and the staff sent on indefinite leave over health issues around the COVID-19 pandemic.

Speculations were rife about the directive being connected to the need to check the possible spread of coronavirus around the nation’s first family.

Contacted on his reaction to the report, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu said: “Have you read the Premium Times report? What I said in it is the truth to the best of my knowledge.

“What is true is that I know about myself that I’m self-isolating and taking my medication, but I know of no other case.”