Femi Fani-Kayode, former Director, Media and Publicity, Jonathan’s Campaign Organisation typified the political saying that in politics there is no permanent friend or enemy, what is permanent is interest. When the former Minister of Aviation was criticizing the Jonathan administration a year to the general elections, not many people thought the Osun State born politician would go back to the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) within a short period and occupied the position he held before the elections.
Shortly after the elections, Fani-Kayode alongside other party leaders like the governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose and his counterparts in Jigawa and Niger states, Sule Lamido and Dr. Babangida Aliyu have put pressures on the former National Chairman of the party, Adamu Mu’azu and other members of the NWC to step aside based on the dismal performance of the party in the last general elections. Fani-Kayode argued that Mu’azu and his co-travelers in the NWC comprised their positions and worked against the interest of the party during the elections.
Mu’azu eventually succumbed to the pressure and resigned his position on Wednesday. Fani-Kayode who commended Mu’azu for taking the path of honour urged other members of NWC to take the same step before they are forced out of office.
It is interesting to know Fani-Kayode’s position about PDP and the outgoing President before rejoining the party. On January 16, 2014, he wrote this about President Jonathan: The problem that we have is the president himself – a president who prides himself on his own weakness and incompetence and whose love of false prophets and strange women knows no bounds and has no end. A president who is as confused and as clueless as the comic character called Chancey Gardner in the celebrated 1970’s Peter Seller’s Hollywood blockbuster titled ‘Being There’.
Here are some contradictory comments credited to Fani-Kayode at various times between 2014 and 2015 that cause doubt in the minds of people about his sincerity and commitment to deepening democracy in Nigeria. “’There is no link between Boko Haram and Buhari ;’ ‘MEND, Boko Haram, APC, Buhari have something in common; The only way forward for this country is to join hands with Buhari, Tinibu, el-Rufai and others to fight PDP;’ ‘APC presents far more credible leadership than in PDP;’ ‘I stand with Jonathan, Buhari can never rule Nigeria;’ ‘The APC can bring the change Nigeria need;’ ‘If I expose the demons in APC, Nigeria will burn;’ ‘There are more quality minds in opposition (APC) than in PDP;’ ‘The APC interim national executives are first class materials, people like Niyi Adebayo, El- Rufai, Lai muhammed , Bisi Akande; APC is full of liars.’”
Judging from the above statements analysts are skeptical about Fani-Kayode’s call for the rebuilding of PDP. They argued that with the party out of power for the next four years, it is unpredictable to say that he would remain in PDP for a long time. They believed that the same man championing the resignation of members of PDP National Working Committee (NWC) may be saying a different thing before the end of the year.
DAILY INDEPENDENT
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