By Ifreke Inyang A British politician and former military officer, Eric Stuart Joyce, has again stirred up controversy over the heal...
By Ifreke Inyang
A British politician and former military officer, Eric
Stuart Joyce, has again stirred up controversy over the health of President
Muhammadu Buhari.
Joyce, who insisted that Buhari is dead , has now challenged
the Nigerian President to prove otherwise.
Writing on his website, he said: “Nigeria has an extremely
capable acting president, of course, but if Mr Buhari is declared dead or
permanently incapacitated then it will be the second time in succession that a
Northern Muslim president has died and been replaced by his Southern Christian
deputy. This is a challenge in a country whose democracy is based upon a
complex balance of different regional and religious interests.
“However, it is a challenge Nigeria is most certainly up to
given the great success which was the peaceful handing over of power after the
last election.
“And so, a top tip for Nigerians. Insist that, like most
democracies, it is a strict requirement of being president that your people
know exactly what your physical condition is at all times. This practice is not
historically confined to democracies, of course. Kings of old were routinely
watched in their bedchambers; Queens were watched as they gave birth to heirs.
This was all to ensure that things were as they seemed. Requiring a president
to show he is capable of running his country, and is definitely not dead, is a
simple and practical extension of this.
“For now, with no sight nor sound of the president and no
proof even of life for some time, it seems that in a bid to manage the
succession the presidency may be lying to the public about the presidents
health or even life, and making Nigeria’s democratic status a mockery into the
bargain.
The Nigerian media seems to be unconcerned about all of
this; unconcerned that he may be dead; unconcerned that if he is alive then he
may be too ill to carry on. In the absence of serious newspaper and TV media,
then, it is left to social media to do the job. So here we are.
“We recommend that every Nigerian check their own wardrobes
for Mr Buhari, and perhaps ask their children if they have any ideas. If you do
this, you will have looked harder for him than the Nigerian media.”
This comes at a time, when SaharaReporters claims Aisha
Buhari did not see her husband when she travelled to the UK .
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