COVID-19: Buhari will address Nigerians if the need arises – Shehu

President Mohammed Buhari will address Nigerians on the covid-19 outbreak when the need arises, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, has said.

Shehu who was reacting to critics of the President’s failure to address the country, made the disclosure while speaking on Channels Television on Friday.

According to Shehu, Nigerians should be concerned about steps being taken to address the situation, and not whether the president speaks on it or not.

But pressed on if the president will at some point address the nation on the pandemic, Shehu said, “Yes of course, if the situation is warranted.”

“At the right trajectory, when the president finds it appropriate to address the nation, he will,” he said.

“Is it action … or are they yearning for drama and showmanship? Are they yearning for photo ops?” he asked.

“This president, President Muhammadu Buhari, is not cut out for showmanship, and not for drama.

“He has competent people doing enormous good job, commended by the World Bank and put forward as a template for other nations to copy. We are satisfied with what is going on.”

He further noted that the president has been speaking “through some of us who are spokespersons; he has been speaking through the coordinating committee.”

“In fact, if only Nigerians are willing, only 24 hours ago, he was at the commissioning of a major project (in Abuja) and he did devote a substantial part of that speech on what the government is doing on the impact on both the economy and health of Nigerians,” he said.

“The president does not seek opportunistic opportunity. So, please, let’s just get serious. Allow people doing serious job of protecting Nigerians to do so and leave drama out of this.

“I would rather have my president buying equipment and bringing them into the country so that we are ready, than a talking head who is just looking for cheap publicity and their face being on the television.”