Some Nigerians are really an incredulous, clownish lot on social media, always ready to concoct stories about President Muhammadu Buhari.
They first harangued him with hashtags to address them on the Coronavirus crisis, their aim being to verify whether ‘the seriously coughing’ President was in Nigeria or the UK.
On Sunday, the President stepped out to give the broadcast wanted, detailing the efforts of his government to combat the coronavirus crisis and ordering the lockdown of Lagos and Abuja.
The doubters still remained incredulous and spinned another round of rumour: that Buhari spoke from the basement of a Cuban hotel in Havana.
They pointed to a ‘Cuban flag’ pictured with him as he stood to read his well-delivered speech.
Leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu began the rumour by stating that the person who gave the national broadcast was an impostor, not the real Buhari.
Then he doubled down by claiming that Buhari spoke from the basement of a hotel in Cuba.
Panicking under widespread pressure, #AsoRockCabal is hurriedly patching up a ‘Buhari’ to be presented to a gullible public at 7 pm. While you watch the charade, pay attention to the FACE you see and the VOICE you hear, and judge for yourself whether this is the Buhari you knew.. pic.twitter.com/yKtvzBjlQz
— Mazi Nnamdi Kanu (@MaziNnamdiKanu) March 29, 2020
Kanu was the same person who propounded the theory that Buhari was a clone of Jibril from Sudan. Now he is showcasing the president as ill.
The doubt Kanu sowed was quickly harvested by his followers, who weighed in with reactions:
#BuhariAddressNigerians that's d aso rock briefing room background… Wat u saw today was from cuba pic.twitter.com/jtrsxB1E4K
— NEXTOT CEO (@nwawe_kennedy) March 29, 2020
Unfortunately, fake president of Nigeria jubril al-sudani issue live broadcast from Cuba not in aso Rock. Very shameful to those who called themselves intellectual in #Nigeria. Is this background look like Aso rock?@MaziNnamdiKanu @MBuhari@HQNigerianArmy @UN @realDonaldTrump pic.twitter.com/XStAY4Otay
— 🔥IPOB GASLINE ZONE ABA🔥 (@gaslinezoneaba) March 29, 2020
https://twitter.com/mosesagbo8/status/1244361508647251970?s=21
https://twitter.com/dahunsi_dp/status/1244424238209159173?s=21
President Buhari address Nigerians from Cuba 🇨🇺:
Shameless country were the president will be outside the country on the run and address the citizens. This is not ASO ROCK.@Imamofpeace @aishambuhari @BashirAhmaad @GarShehu @adamugarba @seunokin @abikedabiri @OfficialAPCNg pic.twitter.com/Z58gLVRKcR
— Uche Ezeonye Official (@uche_ezeonye) March 29, 2020
However, the President’s team and supporters debunked the fake news being peddled, most especially by IPOB members.
Q: What’s the second flag behind the President, besides the Nigerian flag?
A: It symbolizes his office and position as Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. pic.twitter.com/BIKdNhLxfB
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) March 29, 2020
The C-in-C’s Flag: a short visual history (1999-2020) pic.twitter.com/4cuVCJDcga
— tolu ogunlesi (@toluogunlesi) March 29, 2020
More … pic.twitter.com/QIAZ45sW7R
— Esther Williams (@esteehardassah) March 29, 2020
PMB: I'm Negative.
Wailers: No, positive.
PMB: Pictures.
Wailers: No, video please.
PMB: Video.
Wailers: Flag of Cuba.President Buhari rn: pic.twitter.com/tPOUrnkq9m
— Don👑Corleone (@UmarZubyr) March 29, 2020
So those our friends, still believing that the President isn’t in Nigeria but in Cuba, reason they keep asking about the other flag alongside Nigeria’s flag, in their heads, they’re picturing our Armed Forces flag as Cuban national flag. They can be very entertaining sometimes.😂 pic.twitter.com/jcpjnFLzdq
— Bashir Ahmad (@BashirAhmaad) March 29, 2020
