Nigeria 2019: Atiku mocks Buhari over 800 metre walk claim

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Wednesday mocked the Presidency over its claim that President Muhammadu Buhari walked 800-metre as evidence of his fitness to run in 2019.

Mr Abubakar, who is eyeing the presidential ticket of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, said he would work to create jobs for Nigerians and not build “illusion”.

The former vice-president was apparently responding to a claim by the Presidency that Mr Buhari walked 800 metre from Eid praying ground in Daura on Tuesday.

Earlier the governor of Sokoto State, Aminu Tambuwal, had last week said that Mr Buhari was “too old” to rule the country beyond 2019.

But the News Agency of Nigeria reported that after the Eid prayers, Mr Buhari shunned protocol and opted to trek some 800 metres, acknowledging cheers from Nigerians who lined up on his home route to catch a glimpse of him.

Presidential spokesperson, Garba Shehu, had said that Mr Buhari demonstrated his fitness to run for a second term by covering that distance on foot.