Social media was set agog on Thursday over pictures of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, receiving a jab of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine.
Media entrepreneur, Dele Momodu on Twitter, shared pictures showing Atiku receiving the jab in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Momodu’s tweet read: “ Former Vice President, The Wazirin Adamawa, ALHAJI ATIKU ABUBAKAR receives Pfizer COVID-19 jab vaccination.”
In the same vein, Atiku’s spokesman, Paul Ibe, confirmed the news, according to TheCable, saying, “The importance of the #COVID19 vaccine in mitigating the effect of the coronavirus cannot be overstated, particularly in Africa and Nigeria. Yesterday (Wednesday), as part of the mass vaccination programme, His Excellency Atiku Abubakar received the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine.”
Pfizer vaccine is the first to be granted emergency use authorisation by the WHO, and according to Pfizer and BioNTech, it is 90 percent effective.
Below are few social media reactions culled from Twitter;
@rotifassy said, “As correctly predicted few months ago. This “vaccine tourism” will soon become the norm for Nigerian elites.”
@Ndubuisi_Rita said “Protecting himself and forgetting the masses that, he will need their votes.”
@sunybest4 said, “Plenty of Nigerians have no access to good vaccines. The rich will always be the cheat”
@45thchucks said, “He should’ve received it here in Nigeria to show his patriotic Nigerian spirit. Nigerian leaders always prefer overseas medical treatment while ignoring Nigeria infrastructure and institutions.”
@Kachizone said, “What’s the president waiting for? Isn’t it leadership by example??”