Nigeria's Buhari cancels weekly cabinet meeting

Nigeria's weekly cabinet meeting was abruptly called off on Wednesday without official explanation, again raising concerns about whether the country's 74-year-old president, Muhammadu Buhari, could withstand the rigors of holding office.

Buhari returned to Nigeria on Saturday after a 103-day spell in London where he received treatment for an undisclosed disease.

"The meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) will not be held today," presidential spokesman Femi Adesina said in a short statement Wednesday morning.

Buhari spent Monday at the presidential villa, with officials saying the reason he did not work from his office was due to ongoing renovation.
A spokesman said the renovation works were prompted by an invasion of rodents.

Wednesday's cancelation of the cabinet meeting comes amid allegations put forth by critics who insist the president is not well and ought to step down.
Seun Onigbinde, co-founder of a prominent civic group BudgIT, slammed the decision to cancel the cabinet meeting.

"If the FEC meeting is not held next week, we will be told where exactly is it in constitution that the FEC meeting must be held every Wednesday," Onigbinde said, mocking the decision to call off the cabinet meeting.

The cabinet meeting was repeatedly called off in April and the president also skipped Friday prayers before he eventually flew to London on May 7 for health reasons, officially handing over power to his deputy Yemi Osinbajo.