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Buhari’s Age Controversy, National Embarrassment – PDP …I Thought I Was 74 -President
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), yesterday, described as “national disgrace” the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari, that he had all the while believed he was 74 until he was told his age was 75 this year.
The party, in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Prince Diran Odeyemi, in Osogbo, yesterday, said many Nigerians and even the global community must have been taken aback that a 21st century leader of a country like Nigeria did not know his real year of birth.
The PDP queried, “How many other inconsistencies are in Mr. President’s biodata submitted to INEC? We are sure there are more. And the world is waiting on the body to give details about our President.
“We advise INEC to revisit those forms President Buhari filled in all elections he had participated in, especially those he filled before 2015 elections to unearth other inconsistencies therein.
“In a normal clime, the electoral umpire would have set in motion verification modalities to avoid further national embarrassment and expose Mr President.
“Come to think of it, a leader that does not know his real age could not be said to have sound knowledge of the people and country he governs, let alone knowing the peculiarities of the governed. This is simply not the kind of president Nigeria needs at the moment.
“Not too long ago, Nigeria became laughing stock with the inappropriate designation of German Chancellor, Angela Merkel as President of West Germany by President Buhari.
“We recall President Buhari once admitted that his age would slow down his performance in office. For a country that could fall into an emergency situation anytime, like the present government-failing induced fuel scarcity, we don’t need a president that forgets things easily
“We advise Mr. President to consider turning in his resignation letter to avoid further slowing down the country because of his age, and to also save our corporate image as a country that has a President with “occasional memory failure,” the PDP added.
The PDP’s reaction is in response to President Muhammadu Buhari’s remarks last Monday, when he said he thought he was 74 but was told he was 75.
The remark had immediately stirred up a fresh controversy across the country over his real age.
Buhari spoke when the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Muhammed Bello, led a delegation to pay him Christmas homage at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
It would be recalled that the President, joined by some state governors and other top government officials, celebrated his 75th birthday penultimate Sunday.
He was said to have been born on December 17, 1942, in Daura, in present-day Katsina State.
While thanking his guests for the visit, Buhari recalled the health challenge that kept him away from the country for months earlier in the year, admitting that 2017 had been a tumultuous year for him.
The President said he had recovered well from the sickness because he obeyed his doctors who instructed him to be eating and sleeping well.
Buhari said he had recovered well from the sickness because he obeyed his doctors who instructed him to be eating and sleeping well.
He said, “I am very grateful (to you) for taking time out on a very important day to come out and spend it with us.
“It has been a tumultuous year. I am thinking I am 75. I thought I was 74 but I was told I’m 75.
“I have never been so sick, not even during the 30-month civil war that I was stumbling under farm of yams or cassava.
“But this sickness…I don’t know, but I came out better. All those who saw me before said I looked much better when I came back.
“But I have explained it to the public that as a General, I used to give orders. But now, I take orders. The doctors told me to feed my stomach and sleep for longer hours. That is why I am looking much better.”
Buhari stated that he appreciated the visit because he respected good neighbourliness both at individual and national levels.
He said that was why immediately after his inauguration as President in 2015, his first foreign trip was to Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin Republic.
“If you are in good terms with your neighbours, then you can make some savings for development. But if you start fighting your neighbours, then, I am afraid the resources you have you will lose it in trying to be very clever.
“So, I try to be very close to my neighbours both individually and nationally. I thank you very much for being very good neighbours,” he added.
The President admitted that 2017 had been a tough year for Nigeria, expressing the hope that next year would be more prosperous for the country.
He stated, “It has been a tough year for Nigeria and I hope next year will be a much more prosperous one.
“But those listening to the press and the majority of us know that the rainy season was very good and some states have got very good information from home.
“I never knew that the people from Kano, who are more resourceful, used to go to my area and hire farms. This year, nobody hired farms, and nobody regretted it.
“The second one is that the governor of Sokoto State said all the people that really used to go to Mecca were farmers but he didn’t tell me if they took additional wives.”
The FCT minister had spoken about how his administration averted a crisis that would have resulted in a bleak Christmas for the FCT.
He said some youths in the Bwari Area Council clashed in the course of celebrating the Yuletide.
Bello said it took the timely intervention of security operatives in the FCT to put the situation under control.
The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, FCT Chapter, Jonah Samson, said it was a good thing that Buhari was celebrating the Christmas festivities with Christians.
He said: “Christmas is a season of joy and celebration of the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we are here to appreciate your leadership style, especially in fighting corruption and impunity which were seen as the hallmarks of Nigeria”.
The Administrator of Rivers State, Retired Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas, has assured the commitment of Rivers State government to workers’s welfare and industrial harmony in Rivers State.
The Sole Administrator gave the assurance after meeting with leadership of organized labour unions at the Government House, Port Harcourt on Wednesday.
Ibas reaffirmed government’s policy of prompt payment of salaries and pensions to workers and retirees, stating that all local government employees are not receiving the approved minimum wage.
He disclosed that approval has been given for payment of newly employed staff at Rivers State University Teaching Hospital and the Judiciary, while medical workers in Local Government Areas will now receive correct wages.
Ibas explained that, Government is reviewing implementation challenges of the Contributory Pension Scheme ahead of the July 2025 deadline, adding that Intervention buses have been reintroduced to ease workers’ transportation ,with plans to expand the fleet.
He said specialized leadership training for top civil servants will commence within two weeks, while due consideration is being given to implementing the N32,000 consequential adjustment for pensioners and clearing outstanding gratuities.
Ibas commended Rivers State workers for their dedication to service and called for sustained partnership with labour unions to maintain industrial peace.
“This administration recognizes workers as critical partners in development. We remain committed to addressing your legitimate concerns within available resources,” he stated.
The State NLC Chairman, Comrade Alex Agwanwor, thanked the Administrator for the steps taken so far with regard to workers welfare while appreciating his disposition towards alleviating the transportation problem faced by workers.
He also expressed appreciation for the government’s openness to dialogue and pledged continued cooperation towards achieving mutual goals.
The Rivers State Government assured all workers of its unwavering commitment to their welfare and called for continued dedication to service delivery for the collective progress of our dear State.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Rivers Council, has called for policies that will improve the economic situation of the country in order to ensure enhanced living standard for workers.
The State Chairman, Mr Alex Agwanwor, made the remark on behalf of the unions affiliated to Labour Congress during the 2025 workers day celebration in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Agwanwor highlighted the demands of the Unions which included the immediate payment of pension arrears, implementation of the N32,000 minimum wage for pensioners, and payment of gratuities and death benefits without further delay.
“We are calling for the regulation and protection of e-hailing drivers, implementation of increments and promotions, and resolution of long-standing issues in the polytechnic sector,” he said.
Agwanwor on behalf of the unions appealed to President Bola Tinubu to reinstate the democratically elected Governor, Deputy Governor, and members of the Rivers State House of Assembly.
He stressed the importance of democratic governance and good working relationship with elected representatives.
According to him, the unions expressed disappointment over the imposition of taxes, increase in electricity tariff, and high cost of goods and services, which have further worsened the plight of workers.
“We urge the federal government to take measures to alleviate the suffering of citizens,” he said.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima says President Bola Tinubu is committed to unlocking Nigeria’s full potential and position the country as a leading force on the African continent.
Shettima stated this when he hosted a delegation from the Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, led by its Senior Fellow, Dr Rolf Alter, at the Presidential Villa in Abuja last Wednesday.
He said Nigeria was actively seeking expertise from the global best institutions to enhance policy formulation and implementation, particularly in human capital development.
The Vice-President noted that President Tinubu was determined to elevate Nigeria to its rightful position as a leading force in Africa.
“The current crop of leadership in Nigeria under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is ready and willing to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian nation on the African continent.
” We are laying the groundwork through strategic reforms, and at the heart of it, is human capital development.”
He described the Hertie School as a valuable partner in the journey.
According to him, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin, has track record and institutional knowledge to add value to our policy formulation and delivery, especially in this disruptive age.
Shettima reiterated the government’s priority on upskilling Nigerians, saying ” skills are very important, and with our Human Capital Development (HCD) 2.0 programme.
“We are in a position to unleash the full potential of the Nigerian people by enhancing their capital skills.”
The Vice-President acknowledged the vital support of international development partners in that effort.
” I want to thank the World Bank, the European Union, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and all our partners in that drive to add value to the Nigerian nation,” he maintained.
The Vice-President said human capital development was both an economic imperative and a social necessity.
Shettima assured the delegation of the government’s readiness to deepen cooperation.
” We need the skills and the capacity from your school. The world is now knowledge-driven.
“I wish to implore you to have a very warm and robust partnership with the government and people of Nigeria.”
Shettima further explained recent economic decisions of the government, including fuel subsidy removal and foreign exchange reforms.
“The removal of fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate regime and the revolution in the energy sector are all painful processes, but at the end of the day, the Nigerian people will laugh last.
“President Tinubu is a very modern leader who is willing to take far-reaching, courageous decisions to reposition the Nigerian economy,” he added.
Earlier, Alter, congratulated the Tinubu administration for the successful launch and implementation of the Human Capital Development (HCD) strategy.
The group leader described the development as ambitious and targeted towards the improvement of the lives of the citizens.
He expressed satisfaction with the outcome of his engagements since arriving in the country.
He applauded the zeal, commitment, energy and goodwill observed among stakeholders in the implementation of Nigeria’s HCD programme.
Alter said the Hertie School of Governance would work closely with authorities in Nigeria across different levels to deliver programmes specifically designed to address the unique needs of the country.
He, however, stressed the need for government officials at different levels to be agile and amenable to the dynamics of the evolving world, particularly as Nigeria attempted to successfully accelerate its human capital development aspirations.