Buhari’s age controversy: What INEC must do – PDP

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has labelled as “national disgrace” the declaration by President Muhammadu Buhari, that he had all the while believed he was 74 years.

The PDP, in a statement by its Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Prince Diran Odeyemi in Osogbo, Tuesday, pointed out that 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 statement said, “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 moments.

“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 safe our corporate image as a country that had a Presidential with “occasional memory failure”.