The Nigerian Presidency on Sunday, June 25, 2017 released an audio message in which it says that President Muhammadu Buhari recorded as a Eid-El-Fitr message for Muslim faithfuls in the country.
In the 1.02 minute audio recording, a voice is heard wishing Nigerians a happy Eid-El-Fitr celebration.
President Buhari has been outside Nigeria for a medical treatment since May 7, 2017 when the Nigerian presidency said that he was leaving for London. He has not been seen in public since that day when he met with 82 Chibok schoolgirls who were released at that time.
Below is a YouTube video of the audio recording.
The Buhari Hausa Message a Fake – Fani-Kayode
Femi Fani-Kayode, a former aviation minister, has said that the voice message purportedly from President Muhammadu Buhari is “fake and a scam”.
The vocal opposition leader took to micro-blogging website, Twitter, to express his doubts over the controversial recording which was released by Aso Rock on Sunday, June 25, 2017 and played on some radio stations, including the BBC.
“It was NOT @MBuhari that spoke in today’s sallah day audio recording. And for whoever it was to address the nation in hausa is insulting,” he wrote.
It was NOT @MBuhari that spoke in todays sallah day audio recording. And for whoever it was to address the nation in hausa is insulting.
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) June 25, 2017
In a chat with an online newspaper on Sunday night, Fani-Kayode elaborated on his position.
The presidency had released the audio to debunk reports that Buhari is suffering from speech impairment.
But the former presidential spokesman accused Buhari’s handlers of taking Nigerians for a ride.
“Like I wrote in my latest essay published on your website, Nigeria is not a free nation,” Chief Fani-Kayode said.
“The essay asked some fundamental questions and the the truth is that Hausa/Fulani control this country.
“Everybody knows the recording is not the president’s voice. We are firmly in the grip of dictatorship.
“They are on top of the pyramid, the rest of us are slaves. God forbid that Nigeria continue like this, we must free ourselves.”
Fani-Kayode added that the “strategy gone wrong” voice message was the same handlers of late President Yar’Adua used when he was very ill in Saudi Arabia.
“This is just like the one Yar’Adua purportedly had with BBC. They were trying to make us believe it was him.
“It was an extensive interview which at the end of the day, turned out wasn’t Yar’Adua’s voice.
“We are seeing the same pattern again. I don’t know whether to laugh or cry and I don’t know whether I am witnessing a comedy show.
“I speak from an informed position and I can tell you clearly and categorically that the person who spoke was not President Buhari.
“Those behind this scam are very insensitive and they have the IQ of a monkey.
“The person spoke in Hausa because it is what they consider as the official language of Nigeria. They couldn’t even communicate in English.
“The whole thing is a fraud and a lie. There is no reason why the Nigerian people should not know the truth about the condition of the president
“The cabal doesn’t own him; he’s our president. He has been away for 50 days now in a stretch and that by any standard is not acceptable.
“I urged the people to demand that the president be made to resign; that all powers be taken from him and transferred to the acting president.
“And those around Osinbajo should allow him act as president not as coordinator. We need direction and leadership now; not fake recordings in Hausa language,” he ended.
