BY LINUS CHIBUIKE
GOVERNOR Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has confirmed reports that Peoples Democratic Party chieftain, Femi Fani-Kayode, has decamped to the All Progressives Congress.
Bello, who is leading the sensitisation and mobilisation committee for the ongoing APC membership registration and revalidation exercise, gave the confirmation in a just-released video, which has gone viral on social media.
He said, while addressing stakeholders, that Fani-Kayode was joining the party in good faith, and that by virtue of the mandate given to him by the APC, he could not discriminate against anyone.
He stressed that the party belonged to all Nigerians and not any individual and would welcome anyone into its fold, adding however that the former minister was a foundation member of APC.
Bello said, “Our brother and friend, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has joined our party (APC) in good faith. He is joining our party to come and add his own positive energy and make contributions into ensuring that APC is a party to beat. Remember Chief Femi Fani-Kayode was a foundation member of this great party.
“Due to misunderstanding, he decided to go elsewhere. Now that he has decided to join our party, he approached me, and by the mandate given to me by the party, I must not segregate, I must not discriminate against any individual.”
Apparently reacting to an earlier protest by the Director-General of the Progressive Governors’ Forum against accepting Fani-Kayode into APC, the Kogi Governor said, “Even if he had a different opinion about the party before, about the government before, and he has seen the light, the reality and the need to join the APC, it is just nice, it is just important, it is just good and very very sweet, to accommodate and welcome Chief Femi Fani-Kayode to come and join this party.
“Remember, this party does not belong to one individual. It belongs to all Nigerians. You are free to join. If you did not understand what was happening before and you now understand what is happening, and you want to join, we will welcome you with our arms wide open.
“So, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, you are welcome to our party. Come and make your own contribution and ensure that this party is greater than any individual in Nigeria.”
Pictures of the PDP chieftain with Bello and the Chairman of the National Caretaker Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Governor Mai Mala Buni, had, a few days ago, appeared on social media platforms, which sparked reports of his planned defection.
But Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, on Tuesday, said he held a closed-door meeting with some leaders of the APC to discuss pressing national issues.
While clarifying the purpose of his meeting with the APC leaders on his Facebook page, however, Fani-Kayode was quiet about whether he was planning to decamp to the ruling party or not.
This was as the DG, Progressive Governors’ Forum, Salihu Moh. Lukman, advised the leadership of the APC against admitting Fani-Kayode into the party, saying that such a move would mean the ruling party could open its doors wide for the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, or Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.
