The presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), General Muhammadu Buhari, on Saturday, told President Goodluck Jonathan to call the governor of Ekiti State, Mr Ayo Fayose, to order over his persistent falsehood and death wishes for him [Buhari] ahead of the March 28 presidential election.

But Governor Fayose, in his reaction, said he was not wishing Buhari dead, but only concerned about the former military leader’s state of health.

According to a statement from the Directorate of Media and Publicity of the APC Presidential Campaign Organisation (APCPCO), the APC had it on good authority that governor Fayose had hired people in London, who had been trailing the movements of the APC presidential candidate while on a working visit in London.

The statement signed by Mallam Garba Shehu, read: “Let it be on record that knowing Governor Fayose’s antecedents, we are not leaving anything to chances. The governor who has published death-wish advertorials on Buhari will stop at nothing. If anything should happen to General Muhammadu Buhari while in London or anywhere, the authorities over there in the United Kingdom and at home should know who to hold responsible”.

But Fayose, in a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, said “the governor is only concerned about the state of health of Buhari and the well-being of Nigeria as a nation, since Buhari is one of the major contenders for the presidency.”

He said: “The Yar’Adua experience has made Nigerians to be interested in the health status of potential presidents of the country and Buhari, being old, should be transparent in matters relating to his health.

“It is on record that Buhari never spoke for more than five minutes in any of the APC presidential campaign rallies. He has exhibited certain traits by referring to his party as All Progressives Confidence instead of All Progressives Congress, INEC as Independent Nigeria Electoral Commission (INEC) instead of Independent National Electoral Commission, Imo State as Ibo State and his running mate as Osinbade instead of Osinbajo.”

The statement further stated: “Most importantly, Buhari was rumoured to have planned to travel abroad for medical treatment in January, this year. The trip was, however, shelved at the last minute and it should raise suspicion for a personality like Buhari to have travelled through the Abuja airport without any of the Aviation journalists interviewing him.

“Buhari’s handlers further raised suspicion on Friday, when they published photographs he took in London in 2013 on the Internet, claiming that the pictures were taken on Friday. The APC should come to equity with clean hands and accept the burden of presenting an old and analogue Buhari as its candidate and stop blaming Fayose for exposing to Nigerians what they are covering concerning Buhari’s health status.”

Meanwhile, the APCPCO also confirmed that General Buhari will honour his speaking engagement at the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House in London scheduled for Thursday, February 26, saying that Chatam House will post the event and send out invites on Monday, February 23.

The statement also revealed that as part of his ongoing engagement in the United Kingdom, General Buhari had an interview on Friday with a local medium, the “All Eyes on Africa TV Show” with Kemi Fadojutimi and met with Tony Blair on Saturday, February 21 morning.

Shehu disclosed that Buhari left the London residence of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Oba Sikiru Kayode Adetona at about 1.30 p.m. UK time and returned to his rented flat in the city.

•Adapted from Sunday Tribune. Photo shows Buhari.

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