Nigeria's President Muhammadu Buhari has denied claims he died and was replaced by a Sudanese impostor, breaking his silence on a rumour that has circulated on social media for months.

Key points: Videos claiming the Nigerian President was replaced by a clone have been viewed thousands of times on social media

Videos claiming the Nigerian President was replaced by a clone have been viewed thousands of times on social media Mr Buhari said would soon celebrate his 76th birthday and "will still go strong"

Mr Buhari said would soon celebrate his 76th birthday and "will still go strong" The presidency circulated its answer in an emailed statement entitled "It's Real Me, President Buhari Responds to Cloning Allegation"

Mr Buhari, who is running for re-election in February, spent five months in Britain last year being treated for an undisclosed illness.

One theory widely aired on social media — and by some political opponents — was that he had been replaced by a lookalike from Sudan called Jubril.

No evidence has been presented, but videos making the claim have still been viewed thousands of times on YouTube and Facebook.

"One of the questions that came up today in my meeting with Nigerians in Poland was on the issue of whether I've been cloned or not," Mr Buhari said in a post on Twitter, showing a video of his answer at a town hall session in Poland, where he is attending a conference.

"The ignorant rumours are not surprising — when I was away on medical vacation last year a lot of people hoped I was dead.

"It's real me, I assure you. I will soon celebrate my 76th birthday and I will still go strong.

"Some people reached out to [the Vice-President] to consider them to be his Vice-President because they assumed I was dead."

The presidency circulated Mr Buhari's comments in an emailed statement entitled "It's Real Me, President Buhari Responds to Cloning Allegation".

ABC/Reuters