The All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, dismissed allegations about his health and education, as regards his presidential ambition, saying such allegations are being used by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to deviate from the core campaign issues of corruption and incompetent leadership.
Reacting to speculations in the media over the weekend that the former head of state was about to travel abroad on account of his alleged ill-health, Buhari described the medical report widely circulated online as forged. More so, the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital which reportedly issued the report has disclaimed it as a forgery.
“I was at Nasarawa and Benue states yesterday (Saturday). Tomorrow I am going to be in two states. The day after tomorrow in two more states. I am doing two states per day. How they got the impression that I was sick I do not know although I got cold and that did not stop me from going through my schedule.
“I don’t know of this desperation. The issue we are telling Nigerians is that of corruption in this country for the last 16 years PDP has literally destroyed this country. This is the issue and what has my health got to do with that one?
“Document have been put in the papers, on twitter that I am sick but the ABU said they are forged documents. This desperation is beyond my understanding,” Buhari said.
It was revealed to Vanguard by campaign officials that the proposed trip by Buhari, which was rumoured to be because of his health, was actually upon a request by the United States Department of State, which wanted to hear his views. The trip scheduled towards ending of January by the US Department of State had not even been agreed to by the Buhari Campaign team, the source explained.
“Yes, Buhari was invited by the State Department for an interaction but he has not been able to fix a date for it because of the hectic campaign schedule and it is our view that he may not have the time for the trip,” the campaign official said.
Buhari also expressed surprise that the issue of certification had become a focal point. He wondered where his accusers were when the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) cleared him to contest the previous elections in 2003, 2007 and 2011.
“I have contested three times under the same rules set by the INEC. I was allowed to contest all these elections because my certificate was in order and there were individuals that wrote to the United States War College and the college answered them and it was published by some of your papers. So really this desperation of misinformation that is being passed around will do nobody any good because our minds are being taken away from the serious issues of corruption and incompetence by the PDP,” he said.
The APC presidential candidate also said he has been cleared of involvement in any corrupt practices as chairman of the defunct Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF).
“That one has been cleared. There was no fraud in PTF. There was an investigation and General Obasanjo has answered that question. He confirmed that there was an investigation and the report was brought to him and there was nothing on the ground as far as my management and chairmanship of the PTF was concerned. So what else can I say when the person who did the investigation because he was the Head of State cleared me? So what else can I say?” Buhari asked.
[informationng]
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