The President spoke on the issue in far-away Poland during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.
President Muhammadu Buhari has replied those saying that he is a clone.
The President spoke on the issue in far-away Poland during an interactive session with members of the Nigerian community.
Buhari is in Poland to attend the climate change conference scheduled to hold from December 2 to December 4, 2018.
The President, in a post on Twitter via the handle: @MBuhari said "One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I‘ve been cloned or not. The ignorant rumours are not surprising — when I was away on medical vacation last year a lot of people hoped I was dead.
"Poor ProfOsinbajo, even he had to deal with the rumours — Some people reached out to him to consider them to be his Vice President because they assumed I was dead. That embarrassed him a lot; we discussed it when he visited me while I was convalescing.
"I can assure you all that this is the real me. Later this month I will celebrate my 76th birthday. And I’m still going strong!"
How it started
According to reports, the Buhari clone story started when he returned from one of his periodic medical trips to London.
Nnamdi Kanu, the exiled leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) told his followers that the President had died in London.
The IPOB leader also claimed that a body double known as Jubril from Sudan was hired and trained by Buhari's handlers to take his place.
Social media proof
The story has since spread on social media with many Nigerians sharing different angles and presenting their proof to back the claim.
A former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode even lent credence to the body double claim in a post which he made on Twitter.
He said “The true identity of the man in the Villa that claims to be Buhari will only be made known after he is defeated and steps down from power.When that happens Nigerians will be shocked to the marrow. In 2015 I warned about his fake certificate. Today I warn about his fake identity.”
FG reacts
The various insinuations prompted the Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed to address the issue.
The minister dismissed the rumour describing it as an idiotic theory that does not deserve a response from government.
He said "It is idiotic to say the President is cloned. I don't see any serious government responding to that. So, the same Jubril that was cloned from Sudan or Chad is in Chad now? Isn't that stupid?
"They even said he is from Chad. Yet, the same President is in Chad as we speak. The same Jubril is remembering what the President did while in Petroleum Trust Fund and he is also remembering what he did when he was head of state between 1983 and 1985.
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"All the ministers do not know who is before them when they attend the Federal Executive Council meeting? The President remembers memos he had seen or heard about in 1985 and we say he is cloned.
"So, Jubril from Chad or Sudan will now remember all of these? It is too silly for the government to respond to this. It must be ignored."
Nnamdi Kanu has threatened several times to release evidence to back his claim, but he is yet to do so.
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