Another air of uneasiness surrounds the former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode as he faces Department of State Services for grilling on Wednesday, February 15 over his coup allegation .
Fani-Kayode, who is the Director of Special Projects and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, was reportedly grilled for five hours Monday, February 13, after he claimed that some army generals are conniving with some presidential candidates to scuttle the 2023 general elections.
DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, confirmed that Fani-Kayode was quizzed, but he did not give further details.
Also read: FFK in EFCC’s tenterhooks over alleged medical report forgery
The DSS spokesperson had explained in a statement that the former minister reported to the service at 9:00am in response to the invitation extended to him.
“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been with the DSS since 9am today, February 13, 2023, in response to the invitation extended to him by the Service,” Afunanya said.
His invitation by the agency came after the former minister alleged that the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, had a secret meeting with some army generals.
But the Defence Headquarters had subsequently denied the alleged meeting, pledging its commitment to democracy.
DSS frees FFK
The Department of State Services (DSS) released former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode on Monday.
The APC chieftain had appeared at the DSS office in Abuja to answer questions on the allegations he made about some army generals plotting with some presidential candidates to scuttle the 2023 general elections.
Confirming his release, “I’ve been released. I’m on my way home. I’m going to address the press on the matter. Everything is under control,” Fani-Kayode told newsmen.
FFK regrets coup allegation
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has expressed regret over the purported military coup he alluded to in a recent statement, declaring that he (FFK) should have been more circumspect in his postulation over such sensitive national security issue.
His recant at a press conference followed over five hours of grilling by the interrogators at the Department of State Services (DSS) who apparently coarse to eat his words.
The APC Presidential Council member and Director of New Media said he actually did not accuse anyone, but raised posers over alleged meetings with the PDP presidential candidate and military chief, adding however that he should have handled the matter differently given its serious national security implications.
He insisted that his intention for raising the alarm was to ensure that the authorities are on top of their game and investigate Atiku.
Given his experience with the DSS, FFK said, “I was subjected to very thorough grilling; they were inquisitive and it was very professional. At the same time, I must say they were polite, reasonable, and rational. Though it was quite an ordeal, I felt I was treated fairly. I was not oppressed. They were not acting on the orders of the Peoples Democratic Party.”
In the course of the investigation, he said that he realized that his position regarding a phantom coup plot by anybody for that matter was untenable and regrettable.
FFK agreed with his interrogators that he should have sought clarification on the matter through the back channels available to him rather than rush to social media.
He admitted that his action gave credibility to otherwise fake news that has a basis at all.
“Sometimes we need to be circumspect because the medium that issued that statement was faceless and of course when I say something on my Twitter handle, it is the whole world is listening and apparently what I said sent shock waves in a lot of places and some people were really hurt. And I think it is regrettable, and it was a mistake. And I was the first to acknowledge that when things are not done in the right way”.
On why he failed to the trap of not checking out the validity of his allegations before going public, Chief Fani-Kayode admitted that he was shocked by what he called “the fog of war.”
According to him the media outlet of the two rival APC and PDP are at war literally.
“On the issue of being circumspect, sometimes when you are at a waterfront, your decision and judgement sometimes become jaundiced by what is referred to as fog of war. In other words, it is a struggle or fight.
“And this is a fight, it is a war, politics is a war by other means. So, all of us are in a middle of a war. Bayo, Felix, there Dele is there, Idris, Festus is there and all the others. We are in the middle of a war and the media section is actually the one at the forefront. Sometimes when you are experiencing that fog of war, you make mistakes; you say things that perhaps you need not say.
“You may say the right thing at the wrong time and wrong thing at the right time if there’s anything like that.
“Look, nobody is infallible, nobody is infallible the most important thing is you learn from your mistakes. When it comes to national security, we all need to be exceptionally careful “
He stressed that he never believed that the military is against democracy adding that he was aroused when the allegations mentioned Atiku and he had to go overboard without looking at the implications.
Atiku hails DSS
The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday praised the Department of State Services for inviting former Minister of Aviation, Fani-Kayode, over a coup allegation.
Fani-Kayode was expected to back his comment about Atiku and the military.
Fani-Kayode, a former minister under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, confirmed the invitation in a statement on Monday.
A statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu called on the DSS to carry out a proper investigation on the issue.
Fani-Kayode, a former minister under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration.
A statement by Atiku’s Special Assistant on Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu called on the DSS to carry out a proper investigation on the issue.
He said Fani-Kayode must reveal the identity of the military personnel allegedly planning to overthrow the President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Fani-Kayode and others in Tinubu’s camp have continued to prod the military by making allegations of coups and an interim government,” he said.
He said the DSS also needed to question Fani-Kayode to give details of his relationship with the Indigenous People of Biafra, and other separatist organisations terrorising the nation’s peace and unity.
“The DSS must thus leave no stone unturned in this investigation. It is obvious that Fani-Kayode is the one plotting the collapse of the Fourth Republic,” the statement read.
