The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has added a twist to the health saga of President Muhammadu Buhari, declaring that a chance to speak with him would clear the doubts over the President’s health condition.
Mr. Fayose’s comment is contained in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Idowu Adelusi, which was made available to journalists on Sunday.
The statement came on the heels of reports of the President’s recent phone conversations with the President of the African Union as well as the King of Morocco.
Mr. Buhari also on Sunday placed telephone calls to a former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello
The president is presently in the United Kingdom where he is said to be resting and recuperating under medical supervision.
Mr. Fayose noted that instead of speaking with foreign leaders, he would offer to speak with the President to put an end to any doubts.
“I advise the President to speak with me for the purpose of convincing Nigerians that he is hale and hearty instead of looking for people outside the country to convince Nigerians,” he said.
“If their problem is that they are looking for a credible person who can help them convince Nigerians that all is well with our President, Ayo Fayose is their best bet.
“Let the president speak with me. If I tell Nigerians that the president spoke with me, Nigerians will believe.”
The governor said Nigerians were already suspicious of all the “purported” visits to Buhari in London as well as his “orchestrated” telephone conversations with international figures who, Mr. Fayose said, could not be trusted to give a true and unbiased report about the president’s state of health.
“Since they are eager for the president to speak to people; believing in this way to convince Nigerians that their President is hale and hearty, let President Buhari talk to me. I can be reached on 08035024994. I am credible and Nigerians will believe me,” Mr. Fayose said.
“They said he spoke to President Donald Trump; despite the hype, Nigerians were sceptical. Then they said he spoke to the king of Morocco; again, Nigerians were suspicious. Before we recovered from that, it is now the AU president that they said President Buhari spoke to.
“A president that can speak with outsiders should be able to whisper or wave to his own people.
“The people gave him the very important platform of the President on which he stands today and, therefore, presidential aides should stop giving the unhelpful impression that Buhari has no respect for the Nigerian electorate.”
Presidential Spokesman Femi Adesina, when reached by PREMIUM TIMES, declined to comment on Mr. Fayose’s request.
