Buhari blasts Fayose: Campaigns can't be about dead leaders

Presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress for the February 14 election, Muhammadu Buhari, has said that campaigns should focus on national issues and not on his sound state of health.

Buhari’s advice came a day after some members of the PDP raised doubts about his health status and after an advert by Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose warned Nigerians against voting for a 72-year-old man.

In the said advert, Fayose claimed that since three ex-leaders from the North-West had died in office, it would not be wise for Nigerians to vote for Buhari “because we are tired of state burials.”

But General Buhari, in his reaction on his official Twitter handle said, “How can his (Goodluck Jonathan) campaign be talking about ex-dead leaders, jogging around the stadium and outright lies about health?”

Also, the Buhari Support Group Centre on Monday condemned what it described as an orchestrated campaign of calumny and character assassination directed at the APC candidate.

It specifically expressed displeasure with the Fayose’s advert, saying it was not decent.

“In line with the Abuja Accord signed by Gen. Buhari and President Jonathan, the advert in question is to say the least, in bad taste.

“Is it to say that our opponents have a death wish for our candidate? Political campaign should stick to issues and be decent,” the BSGC Director of Publicity, Chidia Maduekwe, said in a chat with Punch.

“We must change the way the world sees us and this 2015 election offers the rare opportunity to showcase our desired new direction.”