The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, said President Muhammadu Buhari deliberately assigned Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to preside over  Wednesday’s Federal Executive Council so as to attend to other official matters.

The minister’s clarification came on the heels of speculations on the President’s health condition as being reported in the social media and some traditional media organisations

The minister, who was addressing State House correspondents after the weekly FEC meeting, said the president’s absence at the meeting was not something abnormal or unusual

 “When you came in this morning Mr President was not in the chamber and the Vice-President did preside over the FEC meeting.

“Understandably, that has sparked a lot of controversies and agitations in the minds of people.

“I just want to make this clear; Mr President is in town; Mr President is attending to other issues; Mr President looked at the agenda, it was a very light agenda, and said that the Vice-President should preside.