Sowore and Atiku mock Buhari's 800 metre walk posting pictures to show they are both fitter

FORMER vice president Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and presidential aspirant Omoyele Sowore have both mocked President Muhammadu Buhari's 800 metres walk from the Daura prayer ground saying that they run for much longer distances.

Yesterday, President Buhari walked from the Daura prayer ground to his residence after attending the Sallah prayers and his media team were quick to use the news and pictures of the occasion to highlight the point that he is fit, hale and healthy. Of late, President Buhari's health has been a major issue after his repeated trips to the UK for medical treatment, so his campaign team used pictures from Daura to try and dispel such stories.

Presidential spokesman Mallam Garba Shehu said that the 800 metres walk indicated that President Buhari was fit enough to seek re-election in 2019.

Reacting, swiftly, Alhaji Atiku posted a photo of him working out in his gym. Mocking t6he short distance covered by the president, Alhaji Atiku, also a presidential candidate, said he jogs more than a mile and does not make noise about it.

He Tweeted: “I regularly jog more than a mile and exercise but it will be pedestrian of me to ask Nigerians to vote for me because of that. I want my party, the PDP and Nigerians to vote for me because I work not because I walk. I will work to create jobs, I won’t walk to create an illusion.”

Adding his voice to the debate, Mr Sowore said he was better than both President Buhari and Alhaji Atiku as he ran the New York marathon under four hours. Sowore added: “ Buhari is celebrating an 800m walk as a sign of fitness, a few hours later another aspirant Abubakar Atiku is celebrating his regular exercise of one mile on a treadmill.

“In 2017, I ran the New York marathon and finished under 4 hours. You can now guess who is most qualified to become Nigeria’s president. Take it back from the tired, corrupt, incompetent and atrophied oldies.”