A former Commissioner for Information in Abia State has provided firsthand testimony that debunks persistent conspiracy theories claiming former President Muhammadu Buhari was replaced by a lookalike during his presidency.
John Okiyi Kalu, who served under ex-Governor Okezie Ikpeazu between 2015 and 2023, took to social media this week to share his personal encounter with Buhari in 2018, categorically dismissing claims that the former president had been replaced by a body double.
The Conspiracy Theory
The controversial allegation first surfaced in late 2018, propagated by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Kanu claimed that Buhari had died in 2017 while receiving medical treatment in London and was secretly replaced by a Sudanese impostor named “Jubril al-Sudani.”
The theory gained significant traction on social media platforms, eventually forcing Buhari himself to address the claims publicly during a trip to Poland in 2018. Kanu alleged that presidency officials had sworn close aides to secrecy about the supposed replacement.
Firsthand Verification
Kalu revealed that he had the opportunity to observe Buhari closely during an official function in December 2018, when he was part of Abia State’s delegation for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding for the Enyimba Economic City project. The federal government pledged N20 billion investment in the initiative.
“That was my second opportunity to meet President Muhammadu Buhari up close, having done so previously when he visited Aba in January 2015 to campaign at Etche Road Field with APC chieftains,” Kalu stated in his Facebook post.
Scientific Approach to Verification
The former commissioner admitted that verifying the conspiracy theory was at the forefront of his mind during the 2018 Aso Rock visit. Drawing on his background as a scientist, he conducted what he described as deliberate observation and fact-testing.
“I knew the tall and handsome General Buhari of 1983 had a black mark (prayer mark) on his forehead that we were told in those days was because he was always touching his forehead to the ground or a prayer mat as a Muslim,” Kalu explained, referencing his childhood memories of Buhari’s 1983 military coup that ousted the Shagari administration.
He also noted specific physical characteristics he remembered from Buhari’s earlier years, including his height, distinctive long chin, broad smile, and walking style.
## Confirming Authenticity
During the signing ceremony, Kalu positioned himself strategically close to Buhari during group photographs. He observed the former president engaging in light-hearted conversation with Governor Ikpeazu, describing Buhari as displaying honesty and joviality without pretense.
Kalu recounted a memorable exchange where Buhari joked with a lawyer about their long political association: “You were with me in 2003, I lost, in 2007 I lost, you were also with me in 2011 I lost, and when you left me in 2015 I won.”
Based on his direct observation and comparison with his earlier encounter in 2015, Kalu concluded definitively that the person he met in 2018 was indeed the same Muhammadu Buhari who had been elected president in 2015, effectively debunking the clone conspiracy theory through personal testimony.
The former commissioner’s account adds to the body of evidence dismissing what became one of Nigeria’s most persistent political conspiracy theories during Buhari’s presidency.
