By Zenith Oduah
The Goodluck/Sambo 2015 campaign organisation has distanced itself from the controversial Newspaper advertorail against the candidacy of APC Presidential Flag-bearer, General Muhammadu Buhari.
NewsWireNGR recalls that a front page advertisement by Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose insinuated that the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate Gen Muhammadu Buhari might die in office has sparked outrage across Nigeria.
The director of media for the campaign organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode told Journalist today in Abuja that the party believes in the sanctity of life and it does not wish the former head of state any ill will .
He pointed out that the Ekiti state governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose who sponsored the publication is a respected member of the party and the advert is his opinion.
“What i can tell you on our part of the Presidential Cmapign organisation, is that this does not represent the opinion of the President and the campaign organisation.
“It is his opinion which he’s entitled to, and he’s somebody that we have immense respect for. He’s a leading member of our party. Kayode continued, “I have spoken with him, but for anybody to suggests 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 this. We believe in the sanctity of life. 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 in terms of his person and his health. Though we believe its important for us to raise questions about facts”..
“We do not wish him ill, we do not wish him dead. We wish him long life and we believe strongly that such sentiments can be aired by individuals but certainly not in our name.
“Let me also end by saying this, Governor Fayose never said he issued the statement on behalf of President Goodluck Jonathan, he said he was speaking on his behalf and he issued it on his name”.
Meanwhile, the man in the eye of the storm, Ayodele Fayose today reacted to the negative comments that trailed the advertorial he published on the front pages of Punch and Sun newspapers of last Monday.
He said that he has no apology over the advertorial as it contained facts. Fayose who stated this through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Idowu Adelusi in Ado Ekiti on Tuesday said that the truth can never be covered indefinitely, insisting that the All Progressive Congress (APC) Presidential Candidate, General Buhari was too old and sick to be president of this country.
