President Goodluck Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have dissociated themselves from an advertisement in some major newspapers sponsored by Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, which urged voters not to vote for the All progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, Muhammadu Buhari over his health status, warning that the former Military Head of State could join the league of former leaders like Murtala Muhammad, Sani Abacha and Umaru Musa Yar’Adaua, who all died in office.
In response to the publication, the Director of Media and Publicity of PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode said the organisation and the party were alien to the advert, adding that Governor Fayose acted on his own premise.
Fani-Kayode said: “Governor Ayo Fayose is a distinguished leader of our party; a democratically elected governor and someone we have immense respect and affection for and he released this advert in his own name. That represents his own personal opinion which he is entitled to.
“What I can tell you on our part is that it does not represent the opinion of the Presidential Campaign Organisation or indeed the President. It is his (Fayose’s) opinion, which he is entitled to and he is somebody that we have immense respect for.
“He is a leading member of the party. I have spoken with him and we respect him but for any body to suggest that this is the position of the Presidential Campaign Organisation or President Goodluck Jonathan, that will be most unfair.
“If we wanted to say something like that we will say it without any kind of apology but of course, we will never say that because we believe in the sanctity of life. Age is not a function of how long you will live.
“It is important that we recognise the fact that age is not an indication of how long somebody will live. We believe strongly that we must continue to show immense respect to the person of General Buhari.”
He further explained that Governor Fayose never claimed to speak on behalf of President Jonathan.
The former Minister of Aviation said: “Fayose never said that he was speaking on behalf of President Jonathan but for himself and he said that he issued it in his name. And I have emphasised that, that is his opinion and he is entitled to it.
“I could only disown if a statement was purportedly made on our behalf and in fairness to him, he never said that. What is important is to emphasise that fact that his position does not represent our position on this. He is entitled to that position, he is a leading member of our party.
Fani Kayode concluded by raising the question of Buhari’s health. He said: “We do not wish him ill, we do not wish him dead, we wish him long life and we believe strongly that such sentiment can be aired by individuals certainly not in our name.
“We believe it is important to always raise questions about facts; you know what these questions are and we will continue to raise them.”
