FFK: Anger against Buhari belated

As a vocal section of the All Progressives Congress (APC) rue the stellar reception given erstwhile “APC hater” and former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK) at the presidential villa, Salisu Mohd Lukman, Director General of the Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) believes the anger and outrage are belated, akin to ‘crying over spilled milk ‘.

The APC chieftain thinks that since President Mohammadu Buhari and other leaders of the party have opened their arms to receive FFK, in a rare demonstration of magnanimity and forgiveness, that it behoves other members of the party to eschew bitterness toward the defecting politician.

The PGF DG also believes that the constant link of former President Goodluck Jonathan with the 2023 presidential election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was demeaning to the former President.
According to him, President Jonathan has no reason to be excited by such a call to a position he left in a sterling style and acclaim as the hero of democracy.

He stressed that if such high profile recruitment is desired by the party, the former President can be asked to head the vacant APC board of trustees, not run a position he left in high colours.

While noting the unstable nature of FFK with regards to building and Sustaining relationships, in And out Politics, Lukman appealed to the distraught APC to see the present move by the Osun State politician as a sign that he needs help to reform his ways.

“Almost every member of APC is angry that our leaders have brought someone like Mr. Fani-Kayode into our party. This is made worse by the red-carpet reception given to him, which he doesn’t deserve. But since it has happened, there is no need to cry over spilled milk.

“What is very clear is that our leaders, especially President Buhari have forgiven Mr Fani-Kayode and embrace him as one of us. As members of APC, our anger with Mr Fani-Kayode is that he has abused both the APC, President Buhari and virtually every leader of the party.

“For instance, he claimed that 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.’ More than this, he has said unprintable things against the APC and all its leaders.

“At this point, therefore, if with all these, our leaders can accept Mr Fani-Kayode into the party, APC members should not be more Catholic than the Pope. Why should APC members be sad that our leaders are magnanimous? Perhaps, because of the red-carpet reception, which many committed APC members cannot even dream of, it should be legitimate to feel unappreciated like Mr Igbokwe had cried out….

“If therefore, someone like Mr Fani-Kayode, who is considered unreliable and therefore not qualified to be a member, would seek for forgiveness from our leaders, based on which they extended their arms to him, members of the APC should also show understanding”.

The DG maintained that since FFK is harping national unity as a motive for the volte-face, his commitment to that claim can be put to test in the manner he reconciles with politicians in his state since he said politics is local.

Specifically with respect to accepting Mr Fani-Kayode as a member of APC, therefore, party members expect that our leaders accepted him to join the APC so that he can be supported to reform himself.

“What is required in the circumstance is that our leaders must test the commitment of Mr Fani-Kayode to reform himself. The first test is that Mr Fani-Kayode should be reminded that politics is local. Coming from Osun State, his commitment to reform himself should start with getting him to integrate himself with APC leaders back in Osun State.

“At this early stage of his membership of APC, beyond the photo show with our dear President Buhari and the Chairman of the APC Caretaker Committee, Mr Fani-Kayode should have a photo gallery with images of him uniting with Chief Bisi Akande, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, Governor Gboyega Oyetola and other party leaders in his home state, Osun”. Lukman stated.