If you can't trek 800 meters, forget running for president of Nigeria

Fitness is the new cool if you want to run for president of Nigeria in 2019. Who would have thought?

It all started when President Buhari’s spokesperson, Garba Shehu, cited his principal’s 800 meter walk in Daura, Katsina as proof of his fitness and rude health ahead of a grueling electioneering campaign in a couple of months.

For context, there are persons who think Buhari isn’t fit to run for president again in 2019, after all his visits to his doctor in the UK since he got the job in 2015 But we aren’t going to dabble into that today. That’s not what this piece is about.

Essentially, we are just here to show you images of the fitness regime of your 2019 presidential aspirants and then, some.

Let’s start with Baba Buhari….

Buhari reportedly walked some 800 meters after the Eid prayers on Tuesday, August 21, 2018, leaving his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, very giddy and excited.

“I think the president has done one thing today – that the issue is not how old one is but how fit he is ; how healthy he is. Now that the president has proven his fitness and well-being, to continue in office is a settled matter.

“I think that if people want to campaign against him they should do so on issues that are of significance to Nigerians. The president is fit, he is healthy; he is good to go for second term", Shehu said.

And then Atiku joined in on the act…

The former Vice President said if it comes down to fitness, he’s miles ahead of Buhari.

His tweet on the fitness subject was widely shared and reported:

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“I regularly jog more than a mile and exercise, but it will be pedestrian of me to ask Nigerians to vote for me because of that. I want my party - the PDP, and Nigerians, to vote for me because I WORK not because I WALK. I will work to create jobs. I won’t walk to create an illusion”, Atiku said.

Kindly hold on for Omoyele Sowore….

In 2017, presidential aspirant Sowore said he ran the New York marathon and finished under 4 hours. So he doesn’t understand why Buhari’s team is flaunting his 800 meter walk as an achievement and why Atiku thinks he’s won the fitness battle just by walking on treadmill.

“You can now guess who is most qualified to become Nigeria’s president”, Sowore said with a thump of the chest.

Okay then.

It's been a while this fitness thing became a cool stunt sha

The whole photo-op fitness regime for politicians or sitting presidents didn’t start today.

Obasanjo couldn’t stop telling us how good he was at squash and football, Yar’adua also flaunted his squash skills and Jonathan hit the gym with Dame Patience and made sure pictures of his fitness regime were widely shared.

Here’s one thing we’ve done for you today: If you aren’t going to tell us how physically fit you are,if you aren’t going to trek long distances like a Kenyan athlete just to prove your fitness, now is the time to kiss your presidential ambition goodbye.

Hope we’ve been of help….

Don’t mention.

Like my guy Samson Toromade puts it: “I think we can save a lot of money on next year's election by cancelling the presidential election and organising an endurance trek and make the winner king. It's so progressive”.

Touché.