Ayodele Fayose, the governor of Ekiti State, has continued to be pilloried over a political advertisement he placed in the Punch and Daily Sun newspapers, in which he wish Muhammadu Buhari, the All Progressives Congress candidate, dead, if elected president in 2015.
Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation Magazine, on Twitter, urged President Goodluck Jonathan to distance himself from the ad. Momodu tweeted that “in the spirit of the peace accord signed by presidential candidates, I plead with President Jonathan to distance himself from Fayose’s hocus-locus.”
A former Editor of the rested NEXT newspapers, Kadaria Ahmed, explained that his “beef with this isn’t with Fayose but with Punch. Even if legal, this is unethical. It shouldn’t be all about cash. Shame.”
Describing the Ad as “distasteful” is a former acting National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and now an APC chieftain, Kawu Baraje.
Baraje in his statement on the advert said it is capable of stoking anarchy in the country.
Baraje stated that “the failure of President Goodluck Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP to distance themselves from such comments and call Mr. Fayose to order is a direct indication that they were in support of Mr. Fayose making a mockery of the dead and trying to play God as only Allah is the one that knows the time of the passing of any individual.” Baraje added that he expected Fayose to have outgrown “his carelessness and irresponsible motor park attitude which is not expected of a governor”.
Punch has also shared in the flaks heaped on Fayose. Some of the critics expressed strong opinions against the newspaper’s editorial decision to publish the Ad, accusing it of unethical practice.
Defending his boss, Fayose’s spokesman, Lere Olayinka, told PREMIUM TIMES that Fayose “is a Nigerian. He has expressed his opinion. Other people are also free to express theirs.”
He added: “It is politics. You market your own product and you also try to pull the opposing product down. That is how it is done. It is politics. Let everybody play his own game. What I don’t support in politics is violence.
“Some of these things you are now talking about. Do you know people have done worse on social media against the president? And has the president said anything?”
“So, the governor has expressed his opinion and people should express theirs. He will soon express other opinions stronger than this. So people should be prepared.”