Contrary to a widely circulated hospital
report on the internet, purportedly from
Ahmadu Bello University Teaching
Hospital, Zaria, claiming that the
presidential candidate of the All
Progressives Congress (APC), General
Muhammadu Buhari, is suffering from
prostate cancer, the management of the
hospital has flatly debunked any
knowledge of the medical report.
A statement by the Directorate of Media
and Publicity of the APC campaign in
Abuja yesterday described as disdainful,
distractive, mischievous, fake and
fallacious, the trending news report of the
alleged prostate cancer condition of its
presidential flag-bearer, being credited to
a source from the renowned teaching
hospital.
The medical report which was supposedly
gotten by some reporters of NewsDay
alleged that the presidential candidate’s
medical situation was arrived at through
a method known as digital rectal
examination (DRE) in detecting the
prostate cancer clinically.
The newspaper stated that, “As learnt by
our team of investigative reporters, the
DRE finding was indicative of prostate
cancer, arc; Asymmetry of prostate gland.
A nodule, induration of part or whole
prostate, hard or woody consistency of
part or all of the prostate, obliteration of
the median sulcus in advanced cases,
palpable seminal vesicles.
“The case of Pa Muhammadu Buhari is a
serious medical condition, as it has
gotten to the levels of that of an elevated
prostate-specific antigen (PSA),” the
newspaper alleged, quoting a doctor who
would not want his name on print.
However, debunking the story in its
entirety, Garba Shehu, APC’s director of
media and publicity, said the report of
cancer is untrue and condescending of its
exponents. “I have it on good authority
that GMB (General Muhammadu Buhari)
has not visited the Ahmadu Bello
University Teaching Hospital in the last
five years. So, how can anyone say that
he was diagnosed with prostate cancer
last October, barely three months ago?
“This is the highest point of political
distraction, malice and mischief. The
report was not only fake, but unfounded.
I have spoken to impeccable sources at
ABUTH, all of whom denied the report
and also claimed that the letterhead used
was not their regular one, and that Dr
Bala Mohammed that purportedly
approved the false medical report is not
on the personnel list of that department,”
he said.
Also, Shehu said sources at ABUTH
disclosed that “medical report analysis
only come from laboratory technologists
and not medical doctors as handwritten
in this particular case, stressing that
General Buhari did not attend the hospital
for cancer or any other ailment.”
Shehu also dismissed as figment of the
imagination of “wicked and evil persons”,
rumour that General Buhari may travel to
the United States towards the end of this
month for medical check-up, restating its
earlier statement on Friday that Buhari
was as fit as a fiddle.
Shehu, while dismissing the report as
fabrications, however, said that “as a
prominent leader of the opposition, many
interests across the globe want him
(GMB) over for political and diplomatic
consultations,” adding that the “invitation
to the US may not be unconnected to
this.”
According to him, “Pathology tissue
biopsy was involved in the diagnosis that
produced the results.”
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