‘Don’t Allow Fani-Kayode Into APC’ – Buni Warned Buhari Will Not Approve FFK Into Party

The Director General of the Progressives Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has warned the Chairman of the National Caretaker Committee of the All Progressives Congress, Mai Mala-Buni not to accept a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Femi Fani-Kayode, into the party.

Lukman on Tuesday clearly warned APC leaders that Chief Fani- Kayode is not welcomed to the ruling All Progressives Congress under any guise, and that he is sure such unholy romance will not pass President Mohammadu Buhari’s scrutiny and approval.

The social media was abuzz Monday over a meeting between the PDP chieftain and Governor Mai Mala Buni who was accompanied by Gov Yahaya Bello of Kogi State, both leaders of APC.

FFK had stated in his official twitter handle:4
“It is right & proper for us to talk & to attempt to join hands across political, religious & regional lines to save Nigeria. I can & will never compromise or jettison my core fundamental principles for any reason & I stand firmly on my honestly held opinion that we need to enthrone equity, justice & fairness in this country for it to survive. I also believe in restructuring the country & in a vigorous & effective fight against terrorism. The fact that I am in talks with leaders from a cross section of pol. parties,including the ruling party”

However, many Nigerians saw it as part of the ongoing political prostitution and an invitation to the controversial politician to switch allegiance to APC.

Lukman said the action of the leaders of APC, especially the leadership of the Caretaker committee, leaves much to be desired adding the leader are sliding towards a culture of self indulgence while cutting off healthy feedback from loyal party members.

The vocal DG who has laboured to position himself as the conscience of the APC, with his puritan view of politics stated :

“That our leaders will be meeting with Mr. Fani-Kayode in such a compromising way, suggesting that he may be on his way to joining our party, clearly indicates that either those of us saddled with the responsibility of advising them have failed or we have been completely cut off.

“How can a person who just few days, if not few hours, ago wrote to one of our leaders and derogatorily and condescendingly condemned his political prospects of emerging as the Presidential candidate of our party, be given such a high-level reception?

“Assuming the open letter to our National Leader, which is all over our media at the time of such reception, wasn’t offensive, what of the open letter he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari last year?

“Besides the open letters, what abusive language has he not used against our party and our leaders? Most of these are unprintable. A typical example of the kind of abuses he spat on our leaders and our party can be demonstrated with his response to a tweet by Mr. Femi Adesina, Special Adviser to President Buhari on Information, last May 2020. Mr. Adesina argued that President Buhari’s emergence as President saved the country. Responding, Mr. Fani-Kayode said: “Not so my friend. The emergence of Buhari in 2015 annihilated Nigeria and plunged her into darkness, death and destruction.

“He came to steal, kill and destroy and for the last disastrous 5 years that is all he has done.”

Lukman noted that the glaring move to lore Femi Fani -Kayode is indicative of the gradual erosion of values that distinguish APC as a social democratic party.

“Compared to most of Mr. Fani-Kayode’s barrages of insults on APC and its leaders, this would appear to be very civil. Most Nigerians, both APC members and non-APC members would appear to be in agreement that any association between APC and its leadership with Mr. Fani-Kayode is indicative of problem of values.

“Without being academic in anyway, the issue of values is basically about the qualities of people and the vision they hold. What kind of people are we aspiring to attract into our party? Do we want to reduce our party into one in which everybody is welcome?

“Can we for instance in anyway or form contemplate having an Nnamdi Kanu or Abubakar Shekau as a member? If that were to be the case, why don’t we just have INEC register IPOB and Boko Haram as political parties and allow them to field candidates for elections?”, he queried.

Continuing he stressed :

“For our leaders to associate themselves with Mr. Fani-Kayode, is simply rewarding scandalous behaviour. Mr. Fani-Kayode has fabricated stories, distorted, insulted and damaged information about our party and our leaders.

“Elementary rule of decency would require some good distance between our leaders and such a person. Not even the Ward leaders where he is located should be associated with him except for reasons of family ties. By the way, the Caretaker Committee of our party should avoid a situation whereby it takes decision on issues that are very weighty without consultations.

“On no account should anyone with the kind of baggage of Mr. Fani-Kayode be invited to join the party without clearance from a statutory structure of the party. In this particular instance, the National Caucus should be the clearing house.”

Lukman cautioned the CECPC and especially it’s chairman to focus attention on the assignment to democratize decision making process of the APC and avoid acting as Sole Administrator .

“We need to appeal to all our leaders, especially the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee and all the thirteen members to always remember that they are entrusted with the responsibility they have today to democratise our party.

“They are not Sole Administrators. To democratise will require more meetings and consultations. Their actions should reflect decisions taken at meeting or at least from wider consultations!”