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The Catholic Archbishop of Abuja Archdiocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan has cautioned those making inflammatory statements capable of polarising the country to desist from doing so.
The cardinal gave this charge when the executives of SIGNIS Nigeria paid him a courtesy visit at his residence in Abuja. Cardinal Onaiyekan used the medium to expressed his reservation over the purported rumour making the round alleging that President Buhari is being impersonated by one Jubril from Sudan.
However, Cardinal Onaiyekan did not take any stand on the credibility of the allegation, but said he doubted the authenticity of such an allegation. He wondered also how such a ‘deception’, if any, could have been pulled through so successfully in a sophisticated country like Nigeria without the international community being in-the-know.
“I find it rather unbelievable to hear the rumour that the person we refer to as our President may not truly be the same Mohammodu Buhari that we know. If this is true, which I doubt, then that means we all have been sold a very serious dummy, including the international community for too long. Indeed I met the president and some other leaders, including the Archbishop of Canterbury at an event here in Abuja three weeks ago. As far as I can tell, I did not observe anything strange in his comportment or his physical features as to raise my curiosity. Indeed he took time to address us on many of his experiences with the judiciary and law enforcement agencies before he assumed his present office. In all, I must confess that I did not notice anything that may warrant my doubting his person.
So, “when I hear some people claiming that he is not the same person, I wonder how they arrived at such a decision. Mind you, I am not his spokesman, neither am I holding brief for anyone, I am just saying it as I see it.”
Cardinal Onaiyekan further urged those who may still be in doubt concerning the true identity of the president, not to lose sleep over such an issue, but to exercise some patients.
“If indeed the president has been cloned as some are alleging, it is only a matter of time for everything to be unveiled. It is like a woman who, after carrying pregnancy for nine months, must put to bed. Such cannot be hidden for too long. It is just a matter of time.”
The prelate said he was pleased with the commitment of media practitioners in promoting the activities of the Catholic faith, urging them not to relent in preaching peace and togetherness in order to stabilize the country and free it from all oppressive tendencies.