I never said I will commit suicide if Buhari returns alive – Fayose

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has denied ever saying he would commit suicide if President Muhammadu Buhari returned to Nigeria arrive.

Mr. Buhari returned from London, Saturday, where he had been on medical vacation for over 100 days.

The Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Idowu Adelusi, told PREMIUM TIMES on Monday that the statement was a “creation of the All Progressives Congress, APC in the state.”

“Mr. Fayose never said he would commit suicide if the President returns to the country,” he insisted.

“It is the creation of the APC. It is their style to create such falsehood.”

He said, instead, the governor had wished the president well and had joined others in praying for him.

While celebrating the arrival of Mr. President at a rally in Ado-Ekiti on Monday, the APC highlighted the alleged vow by Mr. Fayose to commit suicide if the President returned to the country.

PREMIUM TIMES recalls that the “I will commit suicide” statement credited to Mr. Fayose, made the rounds in the social media on July 22, but was vehemently denied by the governor.

The governor, a vocal critic of the president and his party, the APC, was quoted as saying, “I will commit suicide if Buhari comes back alive.”

Mr. Fayose’s media aides had blamed the rumour on the handiwork of the Buhari propaganda machinery.

Mr. Fayose’s Special Assistant on Public Communication and New Media, Lere Olayinka, had in his reaction, same day the quote emerged, debunked the statement.

“Kindly disregard this statement, as it did not emanate from Governor Fayose,” he had said.

“It is their usual way of shifting the people’s attention from the real question Nigerians are asking, as to the whereabouts of the President. At no time was such statement made by the governor.”