Buhari: I have cold, not cancer

Buhari: I have cold, not cancer

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives
Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, on
Sunday, expressed his anger on the desperate
attempt by members of the Peoples Democratic Party
(PDP) to spread misinformation in the country,
“despite the serious issues of corruption in the
land”.

Buhari spoke at the Rivers State Governors Lodge,
Abuja.

With him were the APC governorship candidate in
Kaduna State, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, former Ekiti
State governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, and other party
chiefs.

A livid Buhari said it was unfortunate that the
ruling PDP has so far concentrated ‘too much
energy’ on his state of health and academic
certificate, leaving serious state issues unattended
to.

He said: “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. 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. A
national daily reported that I was to jet out for
medical check up yesterday but here I am.

“I was at Nasarawa and Benue states yesterday.
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 that I have been sick on daily
basis? And documents have been put on paper, on
tweeter that I am sick and the ABU said they are
forged documents. This desperation is beyond my
understanding”.

On his involvement in the alleged missing fund in
the Petroleum Trust Fund (PTF), Buhari said: “That
one has been cleared. There is 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 ground as far as my
management and chairmanship of the PTF was
concerned. So, what else can I say? The person who
did the investigation, because he was the Head of
State, he has cleared me”.

The former Head of State also declared that since all
his certificates were in order, he is qualified to
contest for the presidency for the fourth time.

“I had contested three times under the same rules
set by INEC. There is a basic education qualification
you must have and I was allowed to contest all those
elections because my certificate was in order. There
were individuals that wrote to the United States War
College. The college answered them and it was
published by some of your papers”.

The Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC
Campaign Organisation had, on Saturday, described
as disdainful, distractive, mischievous, fake and
fallacious the news report of an alleged prostate
cancer condition of Buhari, being credited to a
source from the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching
Hospital (ABUTH), Zaria, Kaduna State.

Malam Garba Shehu, Director, Media and Publicity of
the Campaign, said: “It (report of cancer) is untrue
and condescending of its exponents. I have it on
good authority that GMB has not visited the Ahmadu
Bello University Teaching Hospital in the last five
years. So, how can anyone say that he was
diagnosed with prostate cancer last October, barely
three months ago?

“This is the highest point of political distraction,
malice and mischief. The report was not only fake
but unfounded. I have spoken to impeccable sources
at ABUTH all of whom deny the report and also
claimed that the letterhead used was not their
regular one, and that Dr. Bala Mohammed that
purportedly approved the false Medical Report is not
on the personnel list of that department”.