TheCable

Ayodele Fayose, governor of Ekiti state, says his recent criticism of Muhammadu Buhari, presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), is borne out of his interest in the country’s well-being of Nigeria.

Fayose said that since Buhari is one of the major contenders of the presidency, his state of health should be seen as a priority in light of the experience of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua, who could not function effectively in office as a result of his state of health.

“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,” read a statement issued by Lere Olayinka, Fayose’s aide on new media.

“The country cannot afford the chance of considering a 72-year-old man whose health status is suspicious as its president and someone must speak out as some people did when Yar’Adua saga was first ‘Umoru are you dead’ before it led us to Doctrine of Necessity.

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

“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.”

Earlier on Saturday, the APC said Fayose should be held responsible should anything unfortunate happen to Buhari in the United Kingdom, where he is on a working visit.

Garba Shehu, APC’s director of media and publicity, accused Fayose of hiring some people to trail Buhari in London.