Brazilian man, 118, claims he is older than the current holder – a 115-year-old Japanese woman

A Brazilian man is claiming to be the world’s oldest living person and the oldest man ever.

Jose Ferreira dos Santos says he is 118 – making him older than the current official oldest person – a Japanese woman called Kane Tanaka, who is 115.

Jose’s birth certificate is said to state he was born on November 9, 1900, in the Barracao district of what is now the city of Rio Real in the northeast of Bahia.    

He lives in the municipality of Itajuipe in the Brazilian state of Bahia, and according to his family members he was born in 1900.

A blogger from Itajuipe reportedly heard about Jose’s story and is now working to gather all the relevant information needed to present the OAP as the world’s oldest living person and the oldest man to have ever lived to the Guinness World Records. 

Jose Ferreira dos Santos could be the world’s oldest living person and the oldest man ever if the Guinness World Records confirm his birth certificate as 1900

Kane Tanaka is currently officially the oldest living person at 115, but she would be bunped into second place if dos Santos is proved to be older 

Kane Tanaka is currently officially the oldest living person at 115, but she would be bunped into second place if dos Santos is proved to be older 

Jose's birth certificate appears to show hos date of birth as November 9, 1900

Jose’s birth certificate appears to show hos date of birth as November 9, 1900

But his bid to make it into the Guinness World Records could be scuppered if another contender, Koku Istambulova, is confirmed as being 129 years of age. 

Local media report Santos has been married for 78 years with Lindaura Rocha de Jesus, 98, who told reporters the pair had run away from home to get married and start a family.

She said: ‘My mother was very angry with him.’

Jose reportedly worked on farms in the south of Bahia for 58 years before retiring and his eldest daughter, Cremilda Ferreira, says he always asked them to help out with his work.

She said: ‘It was very difficult as we started working at ten years old. My dad took us to the farms, saying we had to go, and if we couldn’t handle picking two cocoa seeds we had to pick one.’ 

Jose's wife, Lindaura Rocha de Jesus, who is 98 years old, has been married to dos Santos for 78 years

Jose’s wife, Lindaura Rocha de Jesus, who is 98 years old, has been married to dos Santos for 78 years

Jose's wife, Lindaura Rocha de Jesus, said ger father always asked them to help out with his work

Jose’s wife, Lindaura Rocha de Jesus, said ger father always asked them to help out with his work

The oldest man ever verified to have lived was Jiroemon Kimura from Japan, who died in 2013 at the age of 116 years and 54 days.

Jose’s family says his cholesterol and glycemic indicators are all under control, although he does struggle to stand and move and spends most of his day sat down or lying down. 

Tanaka became the official world’s oldest verified living person following the death of 117-year-old, Chiyo Miyako, on July 22.

She lives in the southern city of Fukuoka in a nursing home and is said to be in good health, attributing her longevity to family, sleep and hope.

Last month a Russian woman claimed to be the oldest person in the world by ovver 20 years at the age of 129.

Koku Istambulova produced Russian passport and pension papers which appeared to show her date of birth as June 1, 1889.

Koku Istambulova who at 129 could still topple dos Santos as the world's oldest living person if her age is officially verified 

Koku Istambulova who at 129 could still topple dos Santos as the world’s oldest living person if her age is officially verified 

Koku Istambulova's Russian internal passport which is said to show her date of birth as June 1, 1889

Koku Istambulova’s Russian internal passport which is said to show her date of birth as June 1, 1889

She said she remembered her native Chechen people being deported en-masse by Stalin to the steppes of Kazakhstan almost 75 years ago.

Istambulova said her long life was a punishment from God and that the one happy day in her life was when she returned home she built herself after surviving a Stalin purge in World War Two.

She has lived through two world wars, the Russian civil war after the Bolshevik revolution, and two Chechen wars.

She asked: ‘Why did Allah give me such a long life and so little happiness?…I would have been dead long ago, if not for Allah who was holding me in his arms.’

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk