President Muhammadu Buhari has stated that the story that he was dead and replaced by a “Jubril” from Sudan was a joke that was not funny.
Vanguard reported that the President made the statement in a documentary produced and directed by US based filmmaker Ose Oyemadan, and aired at at private dinner organised by his family and very closed associates, to celebrate his 80th birthday.
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In the documentary, President Buhari stated that the Jubril from Sudan was the work of some mischief makers to demonstrate their cheekiness, alluding that Nigerians have a way of creating humour to feast on something they do not understand.
Responding to the question by the interviewer if he heard about the crazy rumour a while back that he was not Buhari, he replied smiling;
“Yes! People said I am somebody from Sudan. I didn’t bother with the name. Nigerians have mischievous ways of explaining themselves.”
Also asked whether he finds such things funny, the President said: “No. It’ is not funny because those who made those statement, they just want to be cheeky. They want to distract attention from the main issue.
“Our main issue is to do the infrastructure, make people aware that they need to work hard to live well. They just want to enjoy life without earning the respect of their community and so on.”
On whether he will miss Aso Rock, the President said that he will not because he is being harassed and that his efforts to make the country better is not good enough and appreciated by some people.
Asked what he will miss about the presidency when he leaves, Buhari said: “I wonder if I am going to miss much. I think I’m being harassed. I believe I’m trying my best but still my best is not good enough. Because there are people around that think that they can intimidate me to get what they want instead of going through certain systems to earn whatever they want to earn. And they are some people who want to be clever by half.”
The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu had started the story of a Jubril Al Sudani being in Aso Rock to sit in the place of the President, whom he argued was dead and buried in Saudi Arabia.
The story which was upgraded several times was widely believed by IPOB members.
Nnamdi Maduakor is a Writer, Investor and Entrepreneur
