Senior Special Assistant to President Buhari on Media and
Publicity, Garba Shehu, says the 800
metres trekking President Buhari embarked upon from the Eid-ground in Daura to
his private residence, is an indication of his fitness to seek re-election in
2019. President Buhari decided ro trek back home to acknowledge the cheers from
the residents of Daura who filed out in their numbers to cheer him.
According to Garba, the President’s action has refuted
Sokoto state governor, Aminu Tambuwal's claim that the president is “too old’’
to continue to rule the country beyond 2019.
“We love President Buhari and that was why we supported him
in 2015 unconditionally, and while doing that, we are too sure that he will
seek re-election after his first term, but when things are wrong we have to
tell him. We still believe in his integrity, patriotism and courage but these
are not enough for a leader. We all know that there is a vacuum in the
government occasioned by his disposition probably because of his old age or
health condition. That is why Nigerians are yearning for younger ones to lead
this country'' Tambuwal said in a statement released yesterday
However, Malam Garba Shehu, the President’s Senior Special
Assistant on Media and Publicity, said the trekking by the president was a
response to Tambuwal’s diatribe on the president.
“I think there are two things here; one is to say that the
President is responsive to the enormous support and commitment of his own
people that had come out in their numbers to see him and he just decided that
he couldn’t go on riding in a blacken vehicle and he came out and walked to the
distance. The second thing, he is curious that these days, one or two people
who are aspiring to be president are campaigning on their youthfulness and good
health.
“I think the president has done one thing today – that the
issue is not how old one is but how fit is he; how healthy is he. Now that the
president has proven his fitness and well-being to continue in office is a
settled matter. I think that if people want to campaign against him they should
do so on issues that is of significance to Nigerians. The President is fit, he
is healthy; he is good to go’’ he said
