Despite being scheduled to be father of the day during the wedding between Hanan, one of the daughters of President Muhammadu Buhari, and Mohammed Turad, son of a former lawmaker from Kaduna State, Mamman Daura, a nephew and close confidant of the President, was absent at the occasion.
SaharaReporters gathered that Daura’s absence might not be unconnected with his trip to United Kingdom for medical treatment over an undisclosed ailment despite claims by the Presidency that he travelled for leisure.
The online newspaper had in August reported how he was flown in a private jet to the UK after exhibiting respiratory difficulties with symptoms similar to Coronavirus.
The former journalist, who is an integral member of the ‘Cabal’, a group of influential individuals around President Buhari, who help him make key decisions, is said to have had a history of renal crisis and had regularly visited the West for medical attention.
A source, who confirmed Daura’s absence at the ceremony, told SaharaReporters that the event was held inside a hall adjacent the President’s office instead of the banquet hall usually used for high calibre social events.
The source further disclosed that the wedding had 80 persons in attendance.
The low number of guests, it was gathered, was partly due to the Coronavirus scare earlier in the week in the Presidential Villa.
On Wednesday, SaharaRepoters revealed how some guests for the wedding were declining the invitation over fear of contracting Coronavirus especially after it emerged that President Buhari’s closest aide and Senior Special Assistant on Domestic Affairs, Sarki Abba, had recently recovered from the virus.
Abba, who has since resumed duties after recovering from the virus, was considered still unsafe to mingle with others inside the Presidential Villa by some persons including the First Lady.
Mrs Buhari also opposed the idea of Daura being a part of the event over his health status but her husband insisted that he must not be stopped attending and even went ahead to designate him father of the day.
This situation sent panic among some guests, who chose not to attend the ceremony and risk their health.
The absence of Daura at the occasion has remained a major talking point among major political players especially considering his closeness to President Buhari.
SaharaReporters