19th June, 2015
The Nigerian Union in South Africa on Friday described as false reports in the social media purportedly quoting President Muhammadu Buhari as saying that he was too old to govern.
The President of the Union, Mr Ikechukwu Anyene, said in a press release issued in Pretoria, South Africa, that Buhari never made such a statement at the town hall meeting with Nigerians in that country on June 15.
The press release was made available to NAN in Port Harcourt.
Anyene said Buhari, rather, enlightened the gathering about his administration’s plans and policies to move the country forward.
“After the president left, the conclusion by most Nigerians present was that he is an honest man who is determined to fix Nigeria.
“It even showed in the way everybody wanted to hug and shake his hands,” he said.
Anyene said it was disappointing that some people were using the social media to score cheap political point.
“The president never said that he is too old to govern,” he stressed in the statement.
Anyene said Buhari was the only visiting Nigerian president he had ever witnessed that had gone out of his way to hug his compatriots after making his remarks.
“Though it is necessary for the opposition to keep the ruling party on its toes, it is equally important that the criticisms should be issue-based so that government will have a breathing space to fix our country,” he said.
Anyene, who said the Nigerian community in South Africa was happy to meet the president, expressed confidence in his ability to tackle the country’s challenges.