President Buhari "I'm Not Too Old to Govern Nigeria"

President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is not too old to cope with the demands of his office.

Buhari said this yesterday in a reaction to reports that quoted him to have said there is a limit to what he can do as president at 72.

The president was quoted to have said so in Johannesburg on Monday while meeting with Nigerians resident in South Africa.

But the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Mr Femi Adesina, said in a statement yesterday that his principal was misrepresented.

"Like good wine, President Buhari gets better with age," Adesina said.

He said though Buhari could not be called a youth at 72, he has in quantum; the wisdom, patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings.

Adesina said the president had brought all these virtues to the presidency in order to make a difference in national life.

He said the Buhari persona had not changed at 72 and he remained the simple, honest, incorruptible patriot he had always been.

"Speaking extempore because, according to him, he wanted to speak from the heart, the president urged them (Nigerian community in South Africa) to be good ambassadors of Nigeria; a country he went to the war front to keep together. Still extolling the virtues of our country, Nigeria, the president, who had served as a military governor of the then North-Eastern State at 33 years old, declared: 'I wish I became Head of State when I was a governor. Now at 72, there is a limit to what I can do.'

"The above comments have been reported by some newspapers to mean that the president was saying he was too old to cope with the demands of his office. Far from it. As the saying goes, old wines are tasty, and President Buhari we have today is a man, like old wine, that has got tastier. At 72, yes, he can't be called a youth, but he has in quantum the wisdom, the patience, temperance and forbearance that age brings. And all these virtues he has brought to the Presidency, to make a difference in our national life," the spokesperson said.