Calling me ‘Jubril of Sudan’ wasn’t a funny joke – Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari said he didn’t find any humour in the viral joke that claimed that he was replaced by a certain Jubril from Sudan.

The President disclosed this while speaking at an event organised by his family and close associates to mark his 80th birthday on Friday, December 23, 2022.

Buhari, whose tenure comes to an end on May 29, 2023, also said he wouldn’t miss the Aso Rock too much.

Speaking in a documentary played at the event held at the State House Banquet Hall, the president said, “I wonder if I am going to miss much. I think I’m being harassed. I believe I’m trying my best but still my best is not good enough. Because there are people around that think that they can intimidate me to get what they want instead of going through certain systems to earn whatever they want to earn. And they are some people who want to be clever.”

On his rumoured death and purported replacement by a body double named ‘Jibril of Sudan,’ Buhari described the development as “not a funny joke.”

He, however, attributed the dark humour to the handiwork of some mischief-makers who wallow in their ignorance.

Responding to a question about the rumour in the documentary interview, the President said, “Yes! People said I am somebody from Sudan. I didn’t bother with the name. Nigerians have mischievous ways of explaining themselves.”

Asked if he found such allusions to be funny, he said, “No. It is not funny because those who made those statement, they just want to be cheeky. They want to distract attention from the main issue. Our main issue is to do the infrastructure, make people aware that they need to work hard to live well. They just want to enjoy life without earning the respect of their community and so on.”

Pulse reports that Buhari also revealed in the documentary how he lost two of his children to sickle cell anaemia.