Buba addressed his small body size by explaining that he has dwarfism, a condition he claims to have inherited from his grandfather.
Mahmud Sadis Buba, a Nigerian politician from Kaduna’s Sabon Gari constituency, recently found himself at the centre of a bizarre controversy after leaked documents suggested he had misrepresented his age. According to local reports, Buba officially claimed to be 30 years old, a number that aligns with Nigeria’s minimum constitutional age requirement for the office. However, a subsequent investigation by the media outlet Peoples Gazette, which probed Nigerian identity records, revealed that he is actually around 16 years old.
Who is Mahmud Sadis Buba?
Known locally as “Abin Al’ajabi” (meaning “The Wonder”), Buba became the centre of public attention when he announced his intention to contest the 2027 elections for a seat in the House of Representatives.
But the BBC reported that he later withdrew from the race.
In a Facebook post, he announced that he has withdrawn from the race for the House of Representatives, effective immediately. In a letter addressed to the Chairman of his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), he reportedly wrote that it is “in the interest of the APC”.
His story started circulating on social media platforms, and because he looks so young, users began speculating about his age. As per reports, he publicly claimed a few times that he is 30, and to complicate matters further, during an interview with BBC Pidgin, he claimed he was 25 and fully qualified for the position.
While users debated about his small body size, he said he has dwarfism, a condition he claims to have inherited from his paternal grandfather. He had maintained that his height would never affect his ability to serve in the National Assembly.
“That’s not how God created me, and that’s not what he wants to make me be. My condition never worries me; instead, it’s something I’m proud of,” he was quoted as saying. “Some people, if they don’t like you, they’ll say, ‘Look at how short he is, he has no height.'”
Buba also told the media outlet that he worked as a driver and currently serves as the chairman of a political support group for Bola Tinubu and Uba Sani. He noted, “I have been inside politics for a long time, even from Buhari’s time. Now, anytime I want, I can go see the president.”
But after documents, including his birth certificate, leaked, locals and online users now also doubt his dwarfism claims. The reports have sparked widespread outrage and triggered a fierce debate over the verification process for political candidates in Nigeria. However, the authorities have yet to officially confirm the authenticity of the leaked papers.
