Nigeria's president swears he's not a clone

If you thought former President Barack Obama being forced to deny having a fake birth certificate was outlandish, the president of Nigeria may have one-upped him — he just had to assure the public that he is still alive.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari on Sunday publicly denied being a clone or an imposter, responding to a conspiracy theory that the real Buhari actually died last year. "It's the real me, I assure you," Buhari said at a town hall event, per The Washington Post. On Twitter, he addressed his 1.7 million followers regarding "the issue of whether I've been cloned or not."
Wild claims spread after Buhari went on medical leave in 2017, and they aren't just confined to fringe online videos; an aide to the previous Nigerian president promoted the idea, BBC News reports. The conspiracies range from those who insist Buhari was replaced by an imposter to those who think he was actually cloned before his "death." Political activist Nnamdi Kanu just last week suggested in a widely shared tweet that Buhari must be an imposter because he "suddenly switched his writing hand from left to right."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Buhari said Sunday that proponents of this theory are "ignorant" and "irreligious," adding that the conspiracy even led some to reach out his vice president instead of him. But Buhari assured the public that he's still "going strong" and will celebrate his 76th birthday this month, even though "a lot of people hoped I was dead."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
How Poland became Europe's military power
The Explainer Warsaw has made its armed forces a priority as it looks to protect its borders and stay close to the US
By Elizabeth Carr-Ellis, The Week UK Published
-
Quiz of The Week: 15 - 21 February
Have you been paying attention to The Week's news?
By The Week Staff Published
-
Tash Aw picks his favourite books
The Week Recommends From Baldwin to Chekhov, the Malaysian writer shares his top picks
By The Week UK Published
-
Trump seeks to end New York's congestion pricing
Speed Read The MTA quickly filed a lawsuit to stop the move
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump officials try to reverse DOGE-led firings
Speed Read Mass firings by Elon Musk's team have included employees working on the H5N1 bird flu epidemic and US nuclear weapons programs
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump blames Ukraine for war after US-Russia talks
Speed Read The US and Russia have agreed to work together on ending the Ukraine war — but President Trump has flipped America's approach
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Musk's DOGE seeks access to IRS, Social Security files
Speed Read If cleared, the Department of Government Efficiency would have access to tax returns, bank records and other highly personal information about most Americans
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms RFK Jr. as health secretary
Speed Read The noted vaccine skeptic is now in charge of America's massive public health system
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump lays out plans for broad 'reciprocal' tariffs
Speed Read Tariffs imposed on countries that are deemed to be treating the US unfairly could ignite a global trade war and worsen American inflation
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Top US prosecutors resign rather than drop Adams case
speed read The interim US attorney for the Southern District and five senior Justice Department officials quit following an order to drop the charges against Mayor Eric Adams
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
Senate confirms Gabbard as intelligence chief
Speed Read The controversial former Democratic lawmaker, now Trump loyalist, was sworn in as director of national intelligence
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published