Buhari Presidency Confirms SaharaReporters’ Story, Announces President Will Visit Saudi Arabia For Lesser Hajj, Others

President Muhammadu Buhari will depart for Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on Monday, October 25, 2021, as earlier exclusively reported by SaharaReporters.

Buhari will leave for Saudi Arabia to participate in the investment conference organised by the Future Investment Initiative Institute, the Senior Special Assistant to the President (Media & Publicity), Garba Shehu, said on Sunday.

He added that the President would also perform the lesser Hajj while in Saudi Arabia.

According to Shehu, the President will be joined at the 5th edition of the flagship investment event by business executives from Nigeria, bankers, Captains of industry and energy experts to “discuss issues on the future of investments across the globe”.

He further said, “The three-day event, with the theme, INVESTMENT IN HUMANITY, which will host global executives and asset managers, will deliberate on progress and prosperity with energy; true final frontiers in investments; science in action; and impact of climate change on communities among others.

“President Buhari will perform the lesser Hajj in Madina & Makka before returning to the country on Friday.

“The President will be accompanied on the trip by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Amb Zubairu Dada, Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Chief Timipre Sylva, National Security Adviser, Maj. Gen Babagana Monguno, Director General of National Intelligence Agency, Amb. Ahmed Rufai Abubakar, Managing Director of Nigerian Sovereign Investment Authority, Uche Orji and Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa.

“Some participants from the private sector include Alhaji Mohammed Indimi, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, Tope Shonubi , Wale Tinubu, Alhaji Abdulsamad Rabiu, Hassan Usman, Omoboyode Olusanya, Abubakar Suleiman, Herbert Wigwe and Leo Stan Ekeh.”

SaharaReporters had on Saturday reported that Buhari would leave the country for Saudi Arabia and later proceed to France and Scotland where he is expected to begin a fresh round of medical checkup.

SaharaReporters had, however, gathered that Buhari would spend up to two weeks on his medical tour but his first point of call is Saudi Arabia for Umrah, otherwise known as the Lesser Hajj.

SaharaReporters learnt that the President after performing the Umrah would then go to Europe for his medical examinations.

In August, Saudi Arabia had announced plans to gradually begin receiving Umrah pilgrimage requests from abroad for vaccinated pilgrims starting after about a year and a half of not receiving overseas worshippers due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was announced that with a capacity that would rise to 2 million pilgrims from 60,000 pilgrims per month, Mecca and Medina will start welcoming visitors from abroad to their mosques while maintaining COVID-19 precautionary measures.

Last week, it was also reported that the Grand Mosque in Makkah was ready to receive pilgrims and worshippers at full capacity, just as the Ministry of Hajj and Umrah lifted the restrictions placed on the performance of Umrah and Prayers in the Rawdah Al Shareefah.

Top sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that Buhari would leave Nigeria for his trip for pilgrimage and medical treatments. 

“Baba (Buhari) is going to Saudi Arabia, France and Glasgow from Tuesday. The date is set and part of it is for his medicals. The trip will not exceed two weeks but the first stop is Saudi Arabia. He will go for the Umrah before heading for Paris and Glasgow,” one of the sources had revealed.

Meanwhile, the President’s health has been a source of concern for many Nigerians.

SaharaReporters in December 2020 had reported how the inability of President Buhari to make critical decisions on insecurity and the depressed economy had become worrisome to many Nigerians – a situation that his dementia and other undisclosed ailments he is treating could have contributed to.