What?! A 16-Year-Old Nearly Became a Nigerian Congressman by Claiming to Be 30, Before Evidence Exposed Him and His Rights Were Immediately Stripped
A 16-year-old Nigerian claimed to be 30 to run for Congress, but leaked documents and former teachers exposed his true age, leading the APC party to disqualify him for falsification.
A strange political saga unfolded when 16-year-old Mahmoud Sadis Buba from Sabon Gari in Kaduna, Nigeria, nearly secured a nomination to run for the House of Representatives. In campaign videos, Buba claimed to be 30 years old and attributed his diminutive appearance to a genetic growth condition, insisting he was a high school graduate and former taxi driver ready to serve his community. His candidacy for the All Progressives Congress (APC) went viral on social media, initially sparking conversations about more inclusive politics in Nigeria. However, the situation quickly spiraled into a national scandal when leaked documents—including his passport, national ID, birth certificate, and school records—indicated he was likely only 16 years old. Former teachers who taught Buba confirmed his actual age, directly contradicting his public claims. The APC party swiftly disqualified him for age falsification, while Buba subsequently withdrew from the race after consultations with party leadership. The incident remains controversial, with Nigerians questioning whether it exposed gaps in the screening system or if there were other political machinations at play behind the scenes.