THE All Progressives Congress (APC) yesterday accused President Goodluck Jonathan of violating the non-violence pact signed by him and other presidential candidates in Abuja on January 14, 2015.

 In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed, APC said Jonathan was culpable after acceding to what it termed “the incendiary, insensitive, reckless and provocative death-wish-for-Buhari advert” allegedly sponsored in his name by Governor of Ekiti State, Ayo Fayose, on Monday.”

  But the PDP yesterday said Fayose’s opinion on Buhari does not represent the position of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organization or President Goodluck Jonathan.

  APC, in the statement, said ‘’But for our party’s ceaseless enlightenment of our members and supporters to shun violence of any kind even when provoked, and the peaceful disposition of the APC as a party, one can only imagine what could have happened in the wake of this demonic advert, laced with ethnic put down and a morally-repugnant death wish for a fellow being. 

 ‘’We are therefore calling on all those who witnessed the signing of the pact, especially former UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan and former Commonwealth Secretary-General Emeka Anyaoku, to take note of this very serious breach of the agreement and urgently call President Jonathan and his party to order.

‘’We are also calling on all Nigerians, as well as security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) to take note of the political desperation of the PDP and its supporters, while warning that we will hold President Jonathan and his party responsible if anything untoward should happen to the APC Presidential Candidate.’’

  ‘’Never in the history of our nation has there been a more egregious act of desperation by a politician who would wish death to his opponent, with the action aided and abetted by otherwise respectable media organizations that chose to put financial consideration over professional ethics, morality and even national unity,’’ APC said.

  The party urged the media, which has always been in the forefront of the fight for democracy in Nigeria, to exercise the utmost restraint at this difficult period. 

It said President Jonathan, who has been saying his political ambition is not worth the blood of anyone, could have had the blood of many Nigerians on his hands had the APC supporters not been peaceful and cool in the face of this egregious act of provocation.

‘’When we saw the advert on the front page in certain papers, we were taken aback not because we had any grand expectation of civil conduct from the indecorous and immoral Fayose, but because no one could have imagined that PDP’s desperation would descend to the level of publicly expressing death wish for political opponents.

‘’That this is coming from the governor of a state is appalling and highly distasteful. No doubt Fayose is the poster boy for what the PDP stands for: insensitivity, desperation and deception. Otherwise, how could any well bred person, whether or not he is a state governor, attempt to incite a whole section of the country against another in such brazen manner?

 But speaking at a news conference yesterday in Abuja, the Director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organization (PCO), Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, said “Governor Ayo Fayose is a distinguish leader of our party. A democratically elected governor and someone we have great respect and affection for and he released this advertisement in his own name.

 Fani-Kayode said: “That represents his own personal opinion which he is entitled to. What I can tell you on our part as the Presidential Campaign Organization, is that it does not represents opinion of the Presidential campaign organization, we have immense respect for him.

 “Though the party has respect for Fayose, for anybody to ascribe it to President Jonathan or presidential campaign organization is unfair. We believe in the sanctity of life and we must continue to show immense respect for General Buhari as a person and his health.

“We believe it is important to always raise question about facts, you know what these questions are and we will continue to raise them. 

“We do not wish Gen. Buhari ill, we do not wish him dead, we believe strongly that such sentiment is not in our position, Fayose never said that he was speaking on behalf of President Jonathan, but for his own self and he said that he issued it in his name.

 “And I have emphasized that it is his opinion and he is entitled to it. I could only disown him, if a statement was purportedly made on our behalf, and in fairness to him (Fayose), he never said that, what is important is to emphasize the fact that, it is his position

 “It doesn’t represent our position and he never said he represented our position. You may disagree with the style and the substance, we will never say such a thing, our president believes in the sanctity of life of Gen. Buhari.”