Dare Babalola
A Chieftain of the People’s Democratic Party and political strategist, Segun Showunmi, has called for the establishment of the office of a Federal Surgeon General to assess the medical fitness of presidential candidates and sitting presidents in Nigeria.
In a statement he shared on his social media handles on Tuesday, Showunmi expressed frustration with the country’s history of prolonged and unresolved presidential health challenges, citing the need for decisive action to prevent future leadership crises.
“We cannot continue like this!” Showunmi said, emphasising that the presidency carries immense responsibility and must be treated with seriousness.
He noted that the current approach is inadequate and the consequences of ignoring presidential health issues are too great.
Showunmi announced plans to instruct legislative drafters to propose a bill to create the office of the Federal Surgeon General, tasked with determining the medical fitness of presidential candidates and sitting presidents.
“We must establish a Federal Surgeon General whose responsibility is to determine whether any candidate is medically fit to hold the office of President, and whether any sitting President remains healthy enough to continue performing the duties and responsibilities of the office.
“This should be the last time the nation is forced to endure uncertainty and dysfunction caused by avoidable health-related leadership crises,” he said.
The politician’s call comes amid concerns about the transparency and accountability of presidential health in Nigeria. Showunmi’s proposal aims to ensure that the office of the President is held to the highest standards of health and fitness, prioritising the nation’s future and stability.
