Defection: PDP, Umahi Knock Fani-Kayode, Says He Is a Political Beggar

• The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has reacted to the defection of Femi Fani-Kayode to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC)
• Fani-Kayode was officially received by President Muhammadu Buhari in Aso-Rock after his defection from the PDP
• The PDP described the former minister as a political liability, unstable as wind and a political beggar

FCT, Abuja - Following the defection of the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), the southwest zone of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has reacted.

The Punch reports that the party lambasted Fani-Kayode over his claim that he had wrongly criticised President Muhammadu Buhari in the past.

Legit.ng gathered that the southwest PDP, through its publicity secretary, Sanya Atofarati, said nothing had changed about Buhari as the socio-political and economic situations in the country were getting worse by the day under his watch.

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The PDP, therefore, challenged Fani-Kayode to come out clean, describing him as a “political liability” “unstable as wind” and a “political beggar.”

According to the report, the controversial ex-minister had officially defected from the PDP to the APC on Thursday, September 16, and was presented to Buhari at the Presidential Villa by the APC caretaker chairman, Mai Mala Buni.

Atofarati, who spoke in a statement titled, ‘‘FFK: Southwest PDP hails APC for inheriting liability.’’ in reaction to the defection, said:

“This was a man who openly accused President Buhari of corruption allegation as minister of petroleum in 1977 and cursed himself to death in 2019 if he ever attempted to join the Buhari-led APC."

“Now, the question for Fani-Kayode is: what has changed? Have the unemployed Nigerians been employed under Buhari? Has Buhari now been able to curb the killing spree of Nigerian soldiers and kidnappings of innocent citizens by bandits and herders across the country.

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“FFK should not be taken seriously. Even when he was acting as a self-acclaimed PDP spokesman, many of us knew he wasn’t sincere. He was then PDP in the day and APC in the night. FFK lacks the integrity required to portray a liberator’s stature. He is a political beggar whose only source of income is in corporate begging."

Premium Times also reports that the Ebonyi state governor, Dave Umahi, said Fani-Kayode, played no role in his defection to the APC in November 2020.

The governor, who made this known on Friday when spoke on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily breakfast programme, described as an insult the claim by Fani-Kayode that he was instrumental in his defection last year.

The controversial ex-minister made the statement while speaking to journalists after he was presented to the Buhari.

Umahi said Fani-Kayode must withdraw his statement, adding that the ex-minister was “never” part of the discussions that led to his defection.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that barely six months after three PDP governors left for the APC, Fani-Kayode, joined the ruling party.

It was reported that Fani-Kayode was presented by the chairman, Caretaker Committee of the APC and governor of Yobe state, Mai Mala Buni to President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday, September 16, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Fani-Kayode's defection attracted diverse reactions from Nigerians on social media.

Source: Legit.ng