By Abiola Olawale
Amid speculations that Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Nigerian Minister of Aviation is set to defect to the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Director General (DG) of Progressive Governors Forum (PGF), Salihu Lukman, has asked leaders of the party to stay clear from Fani-Kayode, stating that associating with him is scandalous.
This is coming after Fani-Kayode met with National Chairman of the party and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni and Kogi State Governor, Yahaya Bello.
Though the former Minister had reacted to the speculations surrounding the meeting, saying he met with the two APC Governors to discuss the “state of the nation, national issues, party politics and the way forward,” the meeting has continued to generate concerns among APC leaders.
Fani-Kayode, a vociferous critic of the ruling party, dumped the APC for PDP in June, 2014, months to the 2015 general elections in the country.
Angered by the speculations of him returning to the APC, the PGF in a statement issued by its DG, Lukman on Tuesday said Fani-Kayode’s meeting with some APC leaders is disturbing.
Lukman further warned that the party should not accommodate him, claiming he is a sworn enemy of President Muhammadu Buhari and the party at large, following his past fiery comments and actions.
The statement reads, “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 decisions 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. 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.”
Recall the Progressive Governors Forum is an umbrella body of governors elected on the platform of the ruling APC. The forum was founded in 2013 and its Director-General is Salihu Lukman.
