President Muhammadu Buhari on Friday revealed why he embarked a trekking length of 800 meters.
Buhari had on Tuesday after Eid-el-Kabir prayers in Daura, Katsina State, broke protocol, amidst cheers from hundreds of well-wishers who lined the route, embarked on an 800-metre walk from the prayer ground to his private residence.
The Presidency had said Mr Buhari carried out the action to prove to his critics that he was fit and capable of running for a second term in office.
The claim generated mixed reactions from both those that are for, and against his reelection.
“I think there are two things here,” said Buhari’s spokesman, Garba Shehu.
“One is that the president is responsive to the enormous support and commitment of his own people that came out in their numbers to see him.
“And he just decided that he couldn’t go on riding in a black vehicle, and he came out and walked 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 he is; how healthy he is.
“That the president has proven his fitness and wellbeing to continue in office is a settled matter,” Garba added.
But distancing himself from the stand of the Presidency, Buhari said he decided to embark on the trek to see the people of his constituency.
Buhari denied he did it to proof he was fit to run for a second term.
“Much has been said about my walk in Daura,a few days ago,” the president on Friday through his twitter handle @MBuhari said.
“I didn’t do it to prove my fitness to anybody.
“The people of my constituency came out in large numbers to see me, & the car in which I was had tinted windows. So I decided to come out of the car so the people could see me,” Buhari said.
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