Stinking thinking! January 21, 2015 Written by HARDBALL Ekiti State Governor Ayo Fayose ought to know that there are a thousand ways to die , speaking literally and figuratively . So , it doesn ’ t follow that 72 -year -old Gen . Muhammadu Buhari, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress ( APC ) , is necessarily closer to death than 57- year- old President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP ) . Fayose ’ s chronological calculation , which highlighted Buhari ’ s age as an unquestionable evidence of closeness to the grave , is both simplistic and senseless . In reality , to stretch the argument , Fayose himself could land on the other side before the two older men , even though he is 54- year- old. Another counter-point to Fayose ’ s controversial political newspaper advertisement of January 19 is that , quite apart from exhibiting a lack of good manners , he demonstrated crooked thinking . His argument : Murtala Mohammed from the Northwest died in office; Sani Abacha from the Northwest died in office; Umaru Yar’ Adua from the Northwest died in office; so , Muhammadu Buhari from the Northwest may likely die in office if elected president . The ad said : “Will you allow history to repeat itself? Enough of state burials . ” Fayose conveniently glossed over the circumstances in which the three former political helmsmen died , but this doesn ’ t make his reasoning any less silly. It is puzzling that Fayose presented his thought process as logical ; the illogicality was way beyond logic . Ironically, although designed to promote the second - term ambition of President Goodluck Jonathan , Fayose ’ s advertisement could actually be interpreted as a message to the electorate to vote against him . The ad said : “NIGERIANS BE WARNED! Nigeria … ‘ I have set before thee LIFE & DEATH . Therefore, choose LIFE that both thee and thy seed may LIVE.’ Deut 30 vs . 19 ″ This sounds like exactly the kind of message that should galvanise the electorate into electorally unseating Jonathan . It is the undesirable continuation of Jonathan in office that represents death , and not the possible election of Buhari to replace him. Is it not the Jonathan administration that has terrorised the people by deepening the country’ s abysmal socio -economic conditions ? It is noteworthy that Fayose ’ s language of crude desperation fits into the PDP ’ s developing approach to next month ’ s general elections . Consider the ridiculous comment by the Director of Media and Publicity of the party ’ s Presidential Campaign Organisation , Femi Fani- Kayode, at a news conference in Abuja . He was quoted as saying about Buhari: “We are constrained to urge him to prove to the Nigerian people that he really is as fit as a fiddle, as the spokesman of his PCO has said , by taking a brisk walk or even jogging around the perimeter of the stadium before any of his rallies .” Clearly , Fani -Kayode ’ s suggestion is a reflection of the PDP ’ s level of unseriousness , not to say ludicrousness . Since what ’ s sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander , wouldn’ t it be a nice idea for Jonathan to do the same before his rallies ? Or perhaps it would be more helpful if both presidential candidates had a pre - election contest involving brisk walking and jogging . Fayose and Fani- Kayode enjoy stinking thinking .
Posted on: Wed, 21 Jan 2015 05:20:35 +0000
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