Criticisms have continued to trail the publication in The Punch and Daily Sun newspapers last Monday by the Governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, on the purported ill-health of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential candidate, General Muhammadu Buhari (rtd).
The coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), working in support of credible and transparent elections slated for February 2015, was among the critics that have condemned the front page advertisement in the national newspapers credited to Fayose with the title “Nigerians Be Warned”.
The CSOs include Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Enough is Enough Nigeria (EiE), Wangonet, Partners for Electoral Reform (PER), Youth Initiative for Advocacy (YIA), Growth and Advancement (YIAGA), and Development Dynamics.
Others are Human Rights Monitor, Election Monitor, Reclaim Naija, Institute for Human Rights and Humanitarian Law, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and several other CSOs numbering over 60.
The groups described the publication as being in extreme bad taste and falling within the category of hate speech proscribed under the Electoral Act and other known international laws that forbid the publication of hate speeches.
According to the coalition, the publication contradicts the Abuja Accord recently signed by the presidential candidates and leaders of political parties for the elections.
It, therefore, advised politicians to be cautious in their campaign and conduct ahead of the general elections.
Expressing disappointment that such a publication could stem from a highly-placed political office-holder, it equally condemned newspapers for accepting to publish such advertorial in clear violation of their duty to promote national cohesion at a critical time in the life of the country.
Besides, the coalition reminded Governor Fayose and all other politicians that the constitutional requirements for running for the office of president are clearly stated under Section 131 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Also reacting on the said publication, Lagos-based legal practitioner, Felix Fagbohungbe (SAN), described the action of the governor as the height of impunity and recklessness.
The learned silk described Fayose’s action as an abuse of office, because, to him, the content of the advertisement portrays Fayose as unreasonable.
Fagbohungbe said: “The office of a governor is a responsible one; so the occupant of that office must show a high level of maturity because he is holding the office in trust for the people. Fayose has not demonstrated that he is responsible or matured.
“He has gone too far in his campaign for the candidate of his choice. People should tell him this, if he does not know. He should guide and watch his comment and not be suggesting to people that he is not different from what people say he is.”
Also commenting on the issue, a legal icon and Professor of Law, Itse Sagay (SAN), stressed that Fayose has crossed the line of decency, adding that his action is very disgusting and irresponsible.
The lawyer, who described the governor as an ungraded bullet, agreed with the suggestion that he (Fayose) should not have gone that far.
Reacting to the publication, another Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Professor of Law, Awa Kalu, described the publication from the governor as reckless.
“We are in the era of politics where everyone will claim that all is fair. But even in war, all is not fair because there is a criminal court to try you if you commit a war crime. For it to come from a governor sounds awkward.
“The life of everyone is in God’s hands and he determines when anybody will die,” Kalu retorted.
In the controversial publication, Fayose had warned Nigerians not to vote Buhari into the office of the president in order not to have a repeat of what happened in 2010 where the health of the late President Umaru Yar’Adua failed him and he died in office.
He added in that publication: “Enough of state burials”.