Opinion: Buhari’s dementia is now a national emergency

By Professor Farooq Kperogi

On November 23, 2018, I tweeted that a doctor who has met Buhari told me that Buhari shows tell-tale symptoms of dementia (of which Alzheimer’s disease is a type), which is characterized by repetitiveness, unawareness, mental deterioration, impaired memory, diminished quality of thought, slurred speech, and finally complete helplessness.

A non-medical person whose dad has dementia and who has met Buhari in the recent past had earlier told me Buhari’s dementia was worse than her dad’s was. She was concerned that Nigeria had no president. She’s right. Buhari barely has any awareness of his existence, much less the requirements of being president. For instance, he has signed several documents he would never have signed if he were mentally alert. And it’s only going to get progressively worse.

That’s precisely why he had been hidden from the public for long. The people who are bent on imposing him on Nigeria know he is a human vegetable but don’t want the world to know about this. Nevertheless, with his disastrously cringe-worthy performance at yesterday’s #NgTheCandidates chat and his awkward, pity-inspiring verbal miscues on the campaign trail, the cat is now out of the bag.

Buhari’s problems aren’t mere “senior moment” problems that I wrote about in a widely shared 2015 column. In fact, the doctor who told me Buhari has dementia (and possibly Alzheimer’s) read my 2015 article where I explained away Buhari’s “Michelle of Western Germany” gaffe as age-induced memory lapse, which is informally called senior moments in America. He said it was beyond that. It’s a clear case of progressive, irreversible cognitive decline.

Buhari does not remember the day he was sworn in. He couldn’t tell a presidential candidate, a senatorial candidate and a gubernatorial candidate apart. He didn’t remember when he was Petroleum Minister. He slumped at a campaign rally in Kogi and his aides didn’t seem shocked, indicating that this is a fairly habitual occurrence beyond the glare of cameras. That’s evidence of weakened motor skills, which is another symptom of dementia.

If you think with Buhari as president Nigeria has a president, you should sue your brain for non-support; you’re NOT thinking! We have a national emergency on our hands. Buhari is clearly infirm both in mind and in body. Without a doubt, other people are ruling on his behalf. If Nigeria were a functional nation, the National Assembly would’ve declared him incapacitated and removed him from office. And he would certainly not be a candidate for president. He should go and rest, not rule because he is actually ruining, not ruling, Nigeria.