Dr Salihu Lukman, Director-General, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC) against admitting Mr Femi Fani-Kayode into its fold.
Salihu said this in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, while reacting to the visit of Fani-Kayode to Chairman, APC Caretaker and Extra-ordinary Convention Planning Committee, alongside Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi.
Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation under former President Goodluck Jonathan, has been a leading voice in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The speculation is that Fani-Kayode is on his way to join the APC. The verdict in most media platforms is quite disturbing,” he said.
Lukman said admitting the former Minister into APC was not a good idea, going by terrible statements credited to him by the media against the party and its leadership.
He said that the meeting between APC leaders and Fani-Kayode was a pointer to the fact that he may be on his way to joining the party.
He wondered why the former Minister was given a high-level reception by APC leadership in spite of his derogatorily and condescendingly letter to one of the party’s leaders few days ago.
“Assuming the open letter to our national leader, which is all over the media at the time of such reception, wasn’t offensive.
“What of the open letter he wrote to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2020,” Lukman said.
He said that beside the open letters, Fani-Kayode had been using abusive language against the APC and its leaders.
“Nigerians, including APC and non APC members would appear to be in agreement that any association between the party leadership and Fani-Kayode was 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,” he said.
Lukman charged the party’s leadership to be mindful of those it attract into its fold and the kind of people it was aspiring to attract, saying “Not everyone should be welcomed.”
He, however, expressed confidence that President Muhammadu Buhari would not give approval for admission of Fani-Kayode into APC.
“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,” he said.
.Majority of APC members may not welcome Fani-Kayode, says Buhari’s aide
An aide to the President, Major General Muhamamdu Buhari (retd.), Bashir Ahmad, has said the majority of members of the ruling All Progressives Congress may not welcome former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode if he decides to join the party.
Fani-Kayode had yesterday met with the National Chairman of the APC, Governor Mai Buni of Yobe State and Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State.
Pictures from the meeting had sparked the controversy that Fani-Kayode, a member of the Peoples Democratic Party, was on the verge of defecting to the APC.
In reaction, Ahmad said the former Minister may not be welcomed by the majority of APC members whom he attacked for several years.
“If he decides to join the governing party, I don’t think he will be welcomed by the majority of the party members whom he made it a duty to attack and insult for several years,” Ahmad said on his official Twitter handle.
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has said his meeting with the APC leaders was to discuss the “state of the nation, national issues, party politics and the way forward.”
