A one-time Nigerian Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has rejoined the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, Kogi Governor Yahaya Bello confirmed on Wednesday.
Recall that Fani-Kayode was a member of APC before he defected to Peoples Democratic Party and had vowed in December 2019 never to return the party.
Over the weekend, he had said he had a fruitful discussion on how to move Nigeria forward during his meeting with Bello over the weekend.
He also visited the former President, Goodluck Jonathan.
Although he did not debunk reports that he had defected, Bello while addressing members of the party said Fani-Kayode has joined the party in good faith to add his positive energy.
According to him, Fani-Kayode who was a founding member of the party left due to misunderstanding and has now seen the light.
He said, ”I have the mandate to sanitize, mobilize and educate and woo Nigerians into the party, irrespective of their background.
”Our Brother Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has joined our party in good faith. He is joining our party to add his own positive energy and make a contribution to ensure that APC is a party to beat.
”Remember that Fani-Kayode was a foundation member of this great party but due to misunderstanding, he decided to port elsewhere. Now he has decided to join our party.
”He approached me and by the mandate given to me by the party, I must not segregate or discriminate against any individual even if he has a different opinion about the governing party before and he has seen the light, the reality and the need to join the All Progressives Party.
”It is just nice, important and very sweet to accommodate and welcome Fani-Kayode to join the party. Remember that this party does not belong to one individual, it belongs to all Nigerians.
”You are free to join if you feel otherwise and you cannot understand what is happening before and now you understand and 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.”
Sahara Reporters reported that FFK, as he is fondly called by supporters, was arraigned in 2016, alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenadi Usman; Danjuma Yusuf, and a firm, Joint Trust Dimensions Ltd over N4.9bn alleged fraud.
The former minister, who was also the Director of Publicity for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan’s presidential campaign organisation for the 2015 election, was accused of conspiring with the others to, directly and indirectly, retain various sums which the EFCC claimed they ought to have reasonably known were proceeds of crime.
Fani-Kayode was accused of directly using parts of the money at various times, including N250,650,000.00, which he allegedly used between March 20 and 25, 2015.
He was also accused of making a cash transaction of N24m with one Olubode Oke, said to still be at large, on February 12, 2015 “to Paste Poster Co of 125, Lewis Street, Lagos Island.”
Months later, the former minister was rearrested and solely arraigned on five counts bordering on money laundering to the tune of N26 million.
According to the EFCC, Fani-Kayode allegedly received the sum of N26 million from the office of the former National Security Adviser (ONSA), Col. Sambo Dasuki (retd.) in 2014.
“He is currently broke, when he was broke during the former President Olusegun Obasanjo era, he started attacking Obasanjo until he was offered a position which fuelled his drug filled lifestyle. As soon as he got a job with Obasanjo, he started attacking Prof. Wole Soyinka and Chinua Achebe. That was why Obasanjo said what politicians need to do for Fani-Kayode to hail them is to give him food,” a source told SaharaReporters.
“Years after, he started attacking former President Goodluck Jonathan. Jonathan’s wife was so scared of him that she begged her husband to employ him, that was why he was made the spokesman for the PDP’s presidential campaign committee.
“When APC came on board, he started attacking President Muhammadu Buhari because of the various corruption cases against him but the late chief of staff, Abba Kyari, was shielding him from trial. Now that Kyari is dead and his trial is progressing well, he is afraid that he might get Metuh’s treatment. He is expected to be in court on February 23 and 24, 2021. He doesn’t want to go to prison.
“In addition, he is very broke. I hope you are aware he just had a new baby. He doesn’t even have money for the unknown wife and baby’s upkeep. So, he started reaching out to APC stalwarts. He also told some of us that journalists conspired against his nationwide tour of states where he was initially making money.”
