President Muhammadu Buhari was absent at the meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) on Wednesday, raising fresh concerns about his state of health.
He was in his residence at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, leaving Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to preside over the meeting.
But the federal government has assured that there was no problem as Buhari was attending to other issues.
The Presidency had previously said that the president was working from the house when reports first emerged weeks ago that he had scaled down his activities due to ill health.
Briefing State House correspondents after the council meeting on Wednesday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said Buhari did not attend FEC meeting because he was attending to other issues.
He said: “Clearly when we came in this morning, Mr President was not in the chambers but the Vice President did preside over the council meeting.
“Understandably, that has sparked a lot of controversies and imputations in the mind of people.
“I just want to make this clear, Mr President is in town. Mr President is attending to other issues. Mr President looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda and decided that the Vice President should preside.
“It’s not unusual for the kind of interest that is shown especially given the fact that Mr President was away for a while on medical treatment and is not. We are not surprised that people will be wondering is he ill again?
“He is not ill, he is not sick. Am sure that later in the day or tomorrow morning he will be back in the office. I just want to clear that misconception.
“Is not unusual even if Mr President is hail and hearty and everything is going on well for the VP to come and preside over meetings of the federal executive council.
“The fact that Mr President is not in the office does not mean that he is not working.
“I have just been told now that the Secretary to the Government is already with him in the residence working.
“So, the fact that you did not see him in the office does not mean that he is not working at all.”
