The tale was first spun and given oxygen by Nnamdi Kanu who heads the proscribed secessionist Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
It is not uncommon to hear Nigerians sharing the story of a ‘Buhari body double in Aso Rock’ on the streets, in the marketplaces, at the malls and in offices, as loudly as they can.
And now former President Olusegun Obasanjo, has described the tale as the most ridiculous and insane stuff he’s ever heard.
Obasanjo has also cited the Jubril-from-Sudan clone tale as one of the ills of social media in the modern era.
Obasanjo says he was approached by one highly placed person on the Jubril-from-Sudan clone tale.
“Somebody came to me, a very high hub person, saying tell me about this talk of Buhari not being Buhari.
“I said ‘do you believe them?’ He said, ‘well, it is in the social media’. I said ‘how will Buhari die and we will not know that Buhari has died and they will bring us somebody from Sudan to be Buhari?’
“It’s ridiculous to the extreme. But you have it in the social media and you see people believing it,” Obasanjo says.
The former president would go on to lecture on responsible use of social media platforms.
“Social media is good, but it can be abused. We have to train our youths and our children about the dangers of the social media,” he submits.
Buhari reacts to his ‘death’
In 2018, President Buhari laughed off rumors that he is dead and has been replaced with a body double.
“One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I‘ve been cloned or not.
“The ignorant rumours are not surprising — when I was away on medical vacation last year a lot of people hoped I was dead,” he said.
The president added that: “I can assure you all that this is the real me. Later this month I will celebrate my 76th birthday. And I’m still going strong!”
