President-elect Muhammadu Buhari
flew into the United Kingdom on Friday May 22nd for a very low key trip
in which he met with the UK Prime Minister David Cameron at 10 Downing
Street yesterday.
When leaving Heathrow airport on his arrival in
London, he was welcomed by Nigerian High Commission officials led by the
High Commissioner, Dr Dalhatu Tafida, Buhari.He shocked the officials who had brought a luxe Rolls Royce to welcome him by declining to the luxury car!
According to The Nation, after
exchanging pleasantries with the embassy officials, the president-elect
politely told them that his visit was strictly private and he had made
arrangement for all his needs while in the UK. He reportedly thanked
them for the warm reception and got into a less flamboyant car he had
arranged for himself, which drove him out of the airport.
A source said,
It
appeared he was uncomfortable with the number of exotic cars in the
convoy. Hard as the stunned diplomats present tried to convince him, he
refused to bulge, insisting that since he did not inform the Commission
of his visit because it was not an official trip, hence he was not
entitled to such grandeur.