Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has taken a swipe at President Muhammadu Buhari for using his 800 metres trek after the Eid-el-Kabir prayer on Tuesday as a campaign point.
Atiku claims he regularly jogs for more than a mile.
Buhari, 75, had embarked on an 800-metre walk from the praying ground in Daura, Katsina State to his private residence in the town.
He was cheered on by hundreds of admirer who chanted “Sai Baba” as they watched their President walk amidst tight security.
Critics of the President have questioned his ability to run for another term, with Sokoto State Governor, Aminu Tambuwal, saying recently that Buhari is not physically fit.
Reacting in a statement after Tuesday’s trek, presidential spokesman, Garba Shehu, knocked those who are campaigning for the presidency on their youthfulness and good health.
“I think the President has done one thing today, Shehu said, “that the issue is not how old one is but how fit he is; how healthy he is. Now that the President has proven his fitness and well-being to continue in office is a settled matter
“I think that if people want to campaign against him they should do so on issues that are of significance to Nigerians. The President is fit, he is healthy; he is good to go for second term.”
Atiku, who like Tambuwal is aspiring to contest the 2019 presidential election on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform, responded to the statement by the presidential spokesman by posting a picture of himself exercising on the treadmill on Twitter.
“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,” Atiku wrote.
I regularly jog more than a mile & 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 pic.twitter.com/zxkzLcWDpg
— Atiku Abubakar (@atiku) August 22, 2018
Others eyeing the PDP presidential ticket apart from Atiku and Tambuwal include Senate President Bukola Saraki, Governor Ibrahim Dankwambo of Gombe, former Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso (Kano) and former Governor Ahmed Makarfi (Kaduna).
Atiku was vice president from 1999 to 2007.
The 71-year-old has had three failed presidential runs since then.
