The All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation has dismissed the rebuttal by the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, of a newspaper advertorial by Governor Ayo Fayose of Ekiti State.

The advertorial published on the front pages of the Punch and Tribune Newspapers on Monday suggested that if elected into office, the All Progressives Congress, APC, candidate, Muhammadu Buhari, may die while in power like past northern leaders such as Murtala Mohammed, Sani Abacha and Musa Yar’Adua.

A statement from the APC presidential campaign spokesperson, Garba Shehu, on Tuesday, said that the denial of Mr. Fayose’s advertorial by the PDP campaign spokesperson, Femi Fani-Kayode, was “merely a case of a master dissociating himself from the errand boy after the message had backfired.”

According to the APC campaign, the response of the ruling party was “too casual and off-handed to impress anyone.”
“It doesn’t sound convincing,” Mr. Shehu said. “The PDP needs to take this issue more seriously to underscore its commitment to the sustenance of Nigeria’s democracy and the non-violence pact entered into by the party and its presidential candidate.

“It is very irresponsible for the PDP to want to distance itself from the death threat to General Buhari, made by not only a sitting governor of the PDP but also a high ranking member of the PDP Presidential Campaign Committee.
“Just in case the PDP had forgotten, what was Fani-Kayode thinking in his mind when he challenged General Buhari to take a jog round a field? Was it to put him through a body fitness workout or to plant a sniper somewhere around the field?

“Whatever the intention of the PDP was about the health status of General Buhari, we in the APC Campaign believe in the exclusivity of the divine role in the matters of life and death.”

Mr. Shehu added the advert sponsored by Mr. Fayose exposed the PDP’s wish and plot for Mr. Buhari.

“It is not difficult for Nigerians to discern what the PDP’s odd intention towards the APC and its presidential candidate is. The PDP’s uncivilised death plot only exposes the mind-sets of the party and their cohorts.

“That the PDP can place such noxious campaign advertorial into the public domain, in a desperate attempt to promote an incompetent incumbent president is tantamount to PDP’s tradition of violence and victimization, as well as an eloquent commentary on how President Goodluck Jonathan runs his administration.”

The APC Presidential Campaign Organisation restated its request for an independent investigation into the PDP threat against its presidential candidate, Mr. Buhari, to ensure his safety and a free and fair election on February 14.