Director-general, Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) Salihu Lukman has explained why some members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) are protesting against the defection of former aviation minister Femi Fani-Kayode to the party.
In a statement on Sunday, Lukman said Fani-Kayode’s capacity to build and sustain relationships was short, not just politically, but in every aspect of his life.
He noted that the development had resulted in negative commentaries, mostly from APC members who wondered why Fani-Kayode should be accorded such high profile reception by the party’s leadership.
He recalled that one of the first persons to express disappointment was presidential aide Babafemi Ojudu.
“The protest against Fani-Kayode joining the APC has to do with his venomous nature, he abuses, insults, and disparages everybody, almost indiscriminately.
“Almost every member of APC is angry that our leaders have brought someone like Fani-Kayode into our party. This is made worse by the red carpet reception given to him, which he doesn’t deserve.
“But since it has happened, there is no need to cry over spilled milk. What is very clear is that our leaders, especially President Buhari have forgiven Fani-Kayode and embrace him as one of us,” he said.
Lukman explained that as members of APC, the anger with Fani-Kayode was that he had abused the party, Buhari and virtually every leader of the party.
He, however, advised that with all the negative things Fani-Kayode had said about the APC and its leaders in the past, if its leaders could accept him into the party, its members “should not be more Catholic than the Pope“.
He added, “On no account should we be distracted. If Fani-Kayode needs a red carpet reception to be a member of APC, millions of party member have demonstrated that they don’t need any form of recognition to work for Nigeria.
“Being very consistent and stable members of the APC, we should also recognise that the party is partly what it is today on account of our little contributions over the years.”
