The Presidency on Tuesday declared President Muhammadu Buhari fit to face the rigours of next year’s presidential contest slated for February, citing his 800 meters walk back home from the prayer ground as evidence of his clean state of health.

President Buhari who returned from a 10-day vacation from the United Kingdom last weekend, had on Monday departed Abuja for his Daura, Katsina State home to celebrate the Eid-el-Kabir festival.

According to a statement issued by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Malam Garba Shehu, the presidency said if anyone was in doubt about Buhari’s fitness, Tuesday’s walk amid cheers from his supporters was enough to erase such.

Shehu said the president undertook the walk after joining the Emir of Daura, Alhaji Umar Farouk and other Muslim faithfuls to observe the Eid prayers at Kofar Arewa Eid Ground in Daura.

According to him, Buhari performed the symbolic slaughtering of the ram at the Eid ground, which he said signified ‘total obedience to the will of Allah as exemplified by Prophet Ibrahim’.

Shehu disclosed that after the walk, President Buhari spoke with reporters in his residence, saying he didn’t expect anything less from his ‘immediate constituency’ and thanked the Almighty God for a bumper harvest and Nigeria’s steady progress towards food sufficiency.

He said the president who wished all Nigerians a happy and successful Sallah celebration, expressed delight that the country was spending less on food imports, noting that it was a major boost to the agricultural policies of his administration.