by Olanrewaju Oguntoyinbo
One sunny afternoon I received a call from a senior colleague who happens to be a friend like a brother Ojomu Taiwo, he said, “Lanre, do you know that Femi Fani-Kayode had a meeting with Jonathan at Aso Villa?” and I replied, “Are you serious? Thank God.”
I then told him many like Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) are in the All Progressive Congress (APC) and they will leave the APC as times goes on, to me that of Femi Fani-Kayode is good riddance to bad rubbish.
I have never liked the person of Femi Fani-Kayode, our spirit just don’t go together, I have always dislike him as a person, I believe he’s fake, and a talkative looking for relevance. I did tweeted at him some time last year telling him I’m not convinced he’s who he claiming he is, that day, he blocked me. I just believe FFK is a snitch, yeah you heard me right, a snitch sent by the ruling party to check and report the activities of the opposition party.
Accessing the reason for his purported return to People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the issue is… was he ever a member of APC? Can he produce his APC membership card or slip? He just posted on Facebook that he has joined the progressive party, that he already left darkness and he’s now with APC. He wrote before then that he was chilling at the poolside in the home of APC’s National Leader Bola Tinubu who resides in Bourdillon, Ikoyi.
It’s imperative you note that inner caucus members of APC who visited Bourdillon don’t sit at the poolside, they go upstairs. The core ones like Atiku, Buhari, Fashola, El Rufai, Ribadu, Aregbesola to mention few go inside Asiwaju’s bedroom, none of them sit at the poolside. So the question is who and who discussed with Otunba Fani-Kayode that APC will be presenting a Muslim/Muslim ticket for 2015? Otunba FFK has never attended any APC national meetings neither is he a principle officer of the party.
The facts are that APC never had that discussion. Nobody in APC is even thinking of religion as one of the criterion in choosing their presidential flag-bearer, what they have been thinking of is the intellectual might and antecedents of candidates. They are not thinking of the religion of the candidate, but they are thinking of that candidate that can push for reforms, positive reforms that will move Nigeria ahead.
When the issue of Muslim/Muslim ticket came up, I swiftly put calls through some prominent national officers of the APC who confirmed that nobody has come up with presidential ambition apart from Sam Nda-Isiah and, of course, they know people like Atiku and Buhari have ambition but they are yet to discuss such with any officer of the party. Frankly, all they’ve been discussing now is the congresses of the party and how to solve some issues arising in some troubled states. So the issue of APC fielding a Muslim as it’s flagbearer never came up in any of their national or caucus meeting.
The truth is I’ll support a Muslim/Muslim or Christian/Christian ticket that will bring development to my country, that’ll fight insurgency and bring peace to my fatherland. I’ll support that candidate that will fix the lingering power issues, that will develop Nigeria’s infrastructure, provide free and modern health care, promote peace and co-existence amongst Nigerians. Not a candidate chosen on the basis of religion who will maintain status quo of a corruption driven society and promote under-development.
Though, I wouldn’t have wasted my time writing this article had Otunba FFK not used religion as an excuse for his exit, because he’s a political liability to APC (in my opinion). What’s FFK’s political strength? Even in his home state of Osun, what political impact does he have?
I was looking back at his antecedents when he was in government. The only good thing I remembered he did was shouting at Virgin Nigeria’s top shot for dropping Nigerians’ bags at Hearthrow Airport UK. That is the only meaningful and significant thing I can remember him doing. He can surely prove me wrong.
I’m celebrating his exist from APC, though he has sent a press statement that says he is still in the party. Social Media Radar in Nigeria, however, has revealed that he has been appointed as Director of Mobilising and Strategy for Goodluck Jonathan 2015, that’s a good position he can’t get in APC, so if true, I wonder why he would stay back in the APC.
Sir, please go! Farewell Uncle Kay. I’ll always respect you, you are a good orator and as a Yoruba boy, I must respect you as my elder, Otunba we wish you well, but do not go with propaganda and religion bigotry.
Olanrewaju Oguntoyinbo tweets from @lanreneville
The opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author.
