Orji Kalu, chief whip of the senate, says President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to some parts of the south-east will dispel the rumour that he was dead and had been cloned.

Speaking on Sunday, the chief whip commended Buhari for his recent visit to the south-east, said the visit will calm agitations in the region.

Buhari had visited Imo and Ebonyi states on September 9, where he inaugurated some projects.

Kalu enjoined the president to “put in more time” in going around the country so that people will see him and know that he is still the same Buhari.

At a point, rumours were rife that Buhari had died and had been replaced by one Jubril from Sudan.

The rumour started in 2017 when the president spent 150 days in the UK treating an undisclosed ailment while the presidency failed to disclose his health status.

The rumoured death of the president, which is false and without any proof, is often peddled by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

“I want to congratulate President Buhari for going to the south-east, he needs more of those visits,” Kalu said.

“Whether the visit is bitter, happiness or anything, it is a commendable initiative, and I commend him.

“He has gone to Lagos, Kano, Maiduguri and should continue to be going around as those are part of the things a president needs to calm the system down. So, I commend him for making that trip, and he should not regret embarking on the trip.

“It was a very good one in my observation, and he should put more time to go to the other parts of the country so that people can see him and know that he is Buhari.

“This is because a lot of lies have been told that it is not Buhari living in the villa.

“I have fought so many wars in my village, people will come from far and near, and they tell me it is not Buhari, and I will say listen, I just had tea with this man last night.

“And it is the same man I know for 32 years, so it is good for the president to make this kind of visit. I encourage him, let him not relent and let nobody make him feel he wasn’t in the right direction.

“So I commend him, and we are still waiting for him to come to Abia.”