Gbenro Adesina
Nigeria’s former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode today said that it would be wrong for anybody to hold him responsible for criticizing and condemning the government of Major General Muhammadu Buhari and All Progressive Congress (APC), for anti-people’s policies, pointing out that the constant variable about mankind is change.
Fani-kayode said, “I will say the only thing in life, the only constant thing in life is change. You can’t hold me to what I have said in the past if circumstances change. And I will always bow to superior argument. The primary cause for me and let me say this, there is no way I will renege on my fundamental core value of principle. Anybody that knows me will tell you that. I believe in certain things, how the country should be moved forward. I will fight for that within this party to ensure it is done. I believe in fairness and equity. But the most important thing for us today is that we must not allow our country to fall apart base on disagreement and misunderstanding amongst one another. I have recognised the fact that we are very close to war. A lot of people don’t know this. And God forbid we should go into that. We should come together. If they criticise me for that it is their right to do so. I don’t want to hurt anybody’s feeling but I have made a choice. I believe I was led by the spirit of God. And I will fight for what I believe it is right within this party and I will never give up on my core values and principles”.
The Nigerian astute politicians stated this during a media interaction after the Chairman, Caretaker Committee of All Progressive Congress (APC), and governor of Yobe State, Mai Mala Buni, presented him to Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, as the party newest member.
Speaking on why he joined APC, Fani-Kayode said, “I felt this is the appropriate time to do the right thing, to put Nigeria first and to appreciate the efforts that have been made, particularly, in the last couple of years in terms of security, fighting insurgency, fighting terrorism, most importantly is the appreciation that we must remain one as a nation, build bridges, work together to move the country forward. The effort of the Governor of Yobe State, Zamfara State and a number of others, including the governor of Kogi in their respective states and helping Mr President move this country forward cannot be ignored. It is very important for us to appreciate that when we see that there are good things that are happening we appreciate those good things. It is not always negative. And when the time is ripe, we change direction to join forces and join hands to move the country forward. Doing this does not mean that we are enemy to anybody. All of us, even if we are in any other party, PDP, or any other party, any group, we can still work together across party line, ethnic line, regional line, or religious line. The most important thing is for us to understand and appreciate the fact that Nigeria must not disintegrate. And those that want us to end fighting one another in a war will be put to shame”.
He described his defection to APC as a home coming saying that he was among those who formed APC in 2013, but defected to PDP because he had issue with the party, stressing that he was aware that PDP may not be happy about the defection but he holds that he did not have enemy in PDP.
“I want everybody to believe that there is two more years for this administration or there about. We must make sure we come together to ensure that it survive it. We must come together to make sure that Nigeria is a better place…. There are many people in PDP, who really want to come over to APC, I can tell you. I was there and very instrumental when Governor Umahi joined APC, I was there, very instrumental when Governor Ayade did the same thing, I was there, very instrumental when Governor of Zamfara did the same thing. There are still many remarkable one in PDP. Our job is to win them over now: somebody like the Governor of Engun State, Governor of Oyo State and my good friend and Governor of Bauchi State. And I sincerely hope that they too will come to this direction”.
Earlier when Governor Mai spoke to the press, he said, “Well, we are here to present our newest member of the party to Mr President and Leader of the party, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode. He is the newest member of APC. We have just received him. In appreciation and understanding of Mr President’s vision and magnanimity. He received him very well. You know Mr President is a magnanimous leader, who shares his vision with anybody who is looking forward for a better Nigeria. He is happy and received him very well. He commended his courage.
However, many Nigerians have started condemning Fani-Kayode for defecting to APC, saying that Fani-Kayode only go to where he can benefit from.
Describing him as a politician whose decision is influenced by what could be gotten from politics, the critic of the politician justify themselves with the position of Chief Olusegun Obasanjo saying, “Femi Fani-Kayode is my boy. Provide him food, he will eat and then sing for you. He’s a smart boy”.
The social media has been awashed with the previous interview of Fani-Kayode with the press swearing that nothing can ever take him to APC.
He once said in a national television, “The PDP is my party. I will never go to APC. APC is out of question. Until Jesus returns, I will never go to APC”.
In an interview on a national television, Fani-Kayode said this about Buhari, “When he was in power, he locked people up..He killed people…He carried people on the street of London illegal…Turns Nigeria into a pariah nation…A man that looted PTF…The truth is that he is very corrupt…A man that when he was a Minister of Oil in 1977 thereabout, N2.8m went missing on his watch…A man that committed so many atrocities….”
In 2019, Fani-Kayode said that he would rather die than join APC.
