While there are reports of the former journalist and industrialist being flown out on medical emergency after testing positive for Coronavirus, some family sources revealed that he travelled to the UK in good health.

A family source told TheCable “It is true he travelled to the UK on Wednesday. Every other thing is imagined, just to give the story some sensation. He is in good health.”

Another family source said “It is impossible that a man, who is over 80, would have breathing problems on Friday and the family would wait for five days before flying him abroad in an emergency. A man having breathing problems on Friday would not attend a public funeral on Tuesday. The reports said he was flown out in a private jet, although people with medical emergencies are usually flown in air ambulances. More so, what country in the world is receiving foreign COVID-19 patients at this time? You are required to be COVID negative before you can fly. Every country is paying priority to its own citizens because of the overwhelming nature of the pandemic. Mallam did not travel to the UK to treat COVID-19 or because of any medical emergency. He is in good health. He went for his regular check-up and there is nothing strange about that.”

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Mamman Daura had said it is better for competence to prevail over zoning in government positions.

However, in a statement released by Buhari’s spokesperson Garba Shehu which served as a response to the interview, the presidency stated that the Daura did not speak the mind of the President.

The statement read “We have received numerous requests for comments on the interview granted by Malam Mamman Daura, President Muhammadu Buhari’s nephew to the BBC Hausa Service.  It is important that we state from the onset that as mentioned by the interviewee, the views expressed were personal to him and did not, in any way, reflect that of either the President or his administration. At age 80, and has served as editor and managing director of one of this country’s most influential newspapers, the New Nigerian, certainly, Malam Mamman qualifies as an elder statesman with a national duty to hold perspectives and disseminate them as guaranteed under our constitution and laws of the land. He does not need the permission or clearance of anyone to exercise this right. In an attempt to circulate the content of the interview to a wider audience, the English translation clearly did no justice to the interview, which was granted in Hausa, and as a result, the context was mixed up and new meanings were introduced and/or not properly articulated. These issues remain at the heart of our evolving and young democracy, and as a veteran journalist, scholar and statesman, Malam Mamman has seen enough to add his voice to those of many other participants.”

Aisha Buhari alleged that Mamman Daura gave the directive scrapping the office of the first lady through presidential spokesperson Garba Shehu.

In a statement made available to Daily Trust, Aisha Buhari stated that the “blatant meddling in the affairs of a First Lady of a country is a continuation of the prodigal actions” of those Garba Shehu allegedly serves.

The statement reads in part “It is at this late hour that I recall, sadly, that it was the same Garba Shehu who claimed that the government will not allow office of the First Lady to run. He was later to confirm to one of my aides that he was instructed to say so by Mamman Daura and not the President. This antic attracted the anger of Nigerian women. He didn’t realize the fact that First Lady’s office is a tradition which has become an institution. Today, even without a budget, I am able to run my humanitarian programmes. In saner climes, Garba Shehu would have resigned immediately after going beyond his boundaries and powers. Garba Shehu needs to understand that this kind of behaviour will no longer be tolerated.”