Drama as Diezani runs after Buhari at airport

There was a mild drama at the
Nnamdi Azikwe International
Airport, Abuja on Friday, as the
Minister of Petroleum Resources,
Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, ran to
catch up with the President-elect,
Muhammadu Buhari.
Both Buhari and the minister on
Friday morning travelled out of the
country to London on the same
flight. One of our correspondents
gathered that they both boarded a
British Airways flight that left the
airport at about 4.30am on its way
to Heathrow Airport, London.
But while Buhari was going to
board his flight, a mild drama took
place at the airport.
Sources, who witnessed the drama,
told one of our correspondents that
the minister raced in a bid to catch
up with Buhari, who had
undergone airport screening
before her.
It was learnt that the President-
elect, who reportedly arrived the
airport before the minister, was
cleared first and he went straight
into the aircraft.
It was further gathered that when
Diezani arrived the airport and got
news that Buhari had already
boarded the flight, she hurriedly
ran to ensure that she entered the
plane.
In fact, sources at the airport stated
that the petroleum minister left
behind her aides while running to
catch up with Buhari. A source on
the ground, who witnessed the
drama, said, “The man (Buhari) was
at the front and had already passed
the screening team. And
immediately the woman (Diezani)
came down, it was as if they told
her that the President-elect was
already inside the aircraft, so she
started running. She even left her
people behind so that she could
board the flight along with the
President-elect.
“This happened between 4am and
5am this (Friday) morning and the
airline involved was British Airways.
The flight was on its way from Abuja
international airport to Heathrow
Airport, London.”
An online medium, Sahara
Reporters, reported on Friday that
efforts of the minister, during the
six-hour flight, to speak with Buhari
failed.
According to the report, the
President-elect only greeted
Alison-Madueke during the
boarding process.
It stated that the minister allegedly
tried many times to stir a
conversation with Buhari, but the
latter shunned her.
The flight was reported to have
arrived at Heathrow in London at
2:15pm, but the passengers
disembarked at 2:45pm. The
Federal Ministry of Petroleum
Resources, refused to comment on
the issues when contacted.Calls to
the mobile phone of its
spokesperson, Mr. Kingsley Agha,
were ignored while a text message
to him was not replied.
He was asked to explain why the
minister travelled and her action at
the airport.
But the media team of the
President-elect issued a statement
saying his visit to Britain was
private.
In a statement signed by the head
of Buhari’s media team, Malam
Garba Shehu, this was the first of
such visit outside the country since
winning the March 28th
presidential election.
The statement, which was issued in
Abuja on Friday, partly read,
“General Muhammadu Buhari will
use the opportunity of the visit to
take a much-deserved rest ahead of
his inauguration on May 29.
“He is expected back in the country
a few days before the inauguration,
refreshed and ready to hit the
ground running once he is sworn
into office.”