Date: 2015-01-20

Against the backdrop of Presidential candidates from all the major political parties recently agreeing to urge their supporters to shun violence, a former chairman of the People's Democratic Party (PDP) Alhaji Kawu Baraje has blasted as distasteful a front page advertorial credited to Ayo Fayose, the Governor of Ekiti State.

The advertorial, published on Monday January 19 2015 explicitly wishes for the death of General Muhammadu Buhari, a former Head of State of Nigeria between 1984 and 1985, and the Presidential Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Alhaji Baraje an elder statesman from Kwara said that the advert credited to Ayo Fayose is possible of causing anarchy in the nation - one would have expected that at the 2nd coming of Fayose as Governor, we would expect him to be more careful and have outgrown his carelessness and irresponsible motor park attitude which is not expected of a Governor.

Baraje in a statement he personally signed said that it is regrettable that barely a week after all political parties, INEC and other stakeholders met to agree on conducting an issues-based and non-violent campaign, a senior member of PDP who is meant to be the leader of an entire state could stoop so low to wish death on anyone - not to talk of a presidential candidate.

Alhaji Baraje further stated that the failure of President Jonathan and the leadership of the PDP to distance itself from such comments and call Mr. Fayose to order is a direct indication that they are 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.