Buhari's Death Rumours: The Drama And Politics
Senator Ahmed Markafi, Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party Caretaker Committee recently landed a major scandal linking him to the rumoured death of President Muhammadu Buhari. A 'shu-shu' which has got everyone talking.
In a recent development, Nigeria's Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has lambasted Markafi describing the statement credited to him as a “silly thing”, while also stating that Buhari “is hale and hearty.”
Markafi Maintains That Buhari's Death Rumours Was Sponsored By APC Leaders Who Want To Take Over Power In 2019.
Recall, Markafi while speaking with newsmen in Kaduna claimed that some APC leaders were behind the rumoured death of Mr. President. He maintained that the entire rumour were propagated by ruling APC leaders who were interested in contesting certain positions in 2019.
In his words:
“The APC should point its searchlight inward and investigate itself as to the source of the rumour. The PDP has nothing to gain from anything; those who are peddling the rumour know themselves and they are in the APC.
“Some of them are already positioning themselves for power in 2019. The APC should investigate itself,”.
In a similar development, The Minister argued that the naysayers of the Government at the helm of affairs had also resorted to the use of ethnicity and religion as tools to balkanize Nigerians, overheat the polity and cause panic among the citizenry, in addition to using fake news and disinformation to distort government activities.
Northern Governors Met Over Vp Osinbajo?
Sequel to the departure of President Buhari to the Uk on a 10-day Health vacation, the Vice president, Yemi Osinbajo had risen to the position of the President in acting capacity.
There were reports that some state governors had held Osinbajo to ransom, so that they can make Bukola Saraki the President as the next man in line for power in the absence of Buhari and his vice. A situation which many believe will be a modern day democratic coup.
However, The FG has dismissed the claims in its entirety. The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, on Thursday avowed that there is no such thing as governors meeting.
In Lai Mohammed's words:
“I want to say categorically and emphatically that there is no iota of truth in this.
“Governors are not meeting in Abuja because there is no need for it. There is no plan to send emissary to London to see the President.
“Again, I want to say that the president is hale and hearty in London where he is observing his 10 day vacation.
“Let us all shun the negative reports insinuating the president illness and death.
“We implore those behind this outright falsehood to desist.
“It is because Nigeria exists that they can practice their profession. We implore them to stop overheating the society,”
Osinbajo Remains Acting President
President Buhari handed over to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo when he left for the UK last week. In a statement released by his media aide, Saraki said this allegation is false and asked to be left out of baseless rumours.
On Wednesday 25 January allegations emerged that there was a secret plot to impeach Vice President, Yemi Osibajo and install Bukola Saraki as the New President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
These claims added weight to the gist that some state governors had held acting President Yemi Osinbajo to ransom, so that they can make Saraki Nigeria's president.
Saraki Exonerates Himself, Sets The Record Straight On The Purported Plot To Impeach Osibanjo & Become Nigeria's President
The Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki unhesitatingly released a statement debunking claims that he is involved in any plot to remove the VP and become the C-In-C in the absence of Osibanjo and his boss.
Here is what Saraki said:
My attention has been drawn to a speculation on some online media about supposed meeting of some Governors who held Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to ransom and sought for Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki to take over the Presidency.
My first initial reaction was to ignore this empty rumour but after being inundated with calls from across the country and abroad, it became necessary for me to make clarifications from our own end. It is a good thing that the Presidency had dismissed the speculation and showed that there is no substance to it.
However, i feel it should be known that those behind this baseless, empty and unintelligent mischief are those who do not love this country. Such suggestions as contained in the speculation can only bring ill-will, disunity and crisis to the country and i therefore advise the sponsors to desist immediately. More importantly, these trouble makers should refrain from linking Senator Saraki’s name to their evil plot.
Buhari Is Not ill?
On Thursday, the Presidency came public to stress that President Muhammadu Buhari is not ill, despite the rumour making the rounds on all media platforms that he is ailing.
In a brief chat with news media, The Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr. Femi Adesina, affimed that Buhari is only in London, United Kingdom, for vacation and is not in any hospital.
According to Adesina:
“The President is in London on vacation. He is not in any hospital and he is not ill.
“When he was travelling last week, the statement we put out was that he was going on vacation and during the vacation, he would do routine medical check-up and nothing has changed from what we pushed out last week.
“If anybody has fed something else into the rumour mill, that is just what it is — rumour.”
When asked if Buhari would be willing to talk to Nigerians from the UK, Adesina said such a decision could only be taken by the President himself.
“The fact that he is a President, he still has his rights. Compelling him to come out and talk will be infringing on his rights.
“The President will talk if he wishes to. If he doesn’t wish to, nobody will compel him to talk.
“The truth is that the President is on vacation and he has given a date on which he will return to work,’’.
