I would rather die than join APC: What Fani-Kayode said about ruling party 2 years ago
- Fani-Kayode's recent meetings with APC chieftains have fuelled speculations that he may join the party soon
- The former minister had said that he would rather die than join the APC when it was rumoured that he had joined the party in 2019
- However, with his recent moves, many do not rule out the possibility of him dumping the PDP for the ruling party, even though he has again issued a denial
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The Nigerian media space has recently been awash with speculations of Femi Fani-Kayode, former aviation minister, joining the All Progressives Congress (APC).
This follows his meetings with some of the party's chieftains, including governors Yahaya Bello of Kogi state and Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state.
The speculations gained shortlived credence on Wednesday, February 10, when a video surfaced on social media wherein Governor Bello claimed Fani-Kayode had already joined the APC.
Source: Facebook
However, the former minister quickly took to Twitter to counter Governor Bello's claim, saying that he is still a member of the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Nevertheless, Fani-Kayode's "political romance" with members of the party he has used several unprintable words to describe suggests the possibility of his eventual defection cannot be ruled out.
What Fani-Kayode said about APC in 2019
Just like it's being witnessed now, in December 2019, speculations sprouted that Fani-Kayode had joined the APC.
As usual, he sprinted to Twitter to not only deny the defection but also attack the ruling party which he tagged then as "Almajiri Peoples Congress (APC)".
He went as far as saying he would rather die than join the ruling party.
Part of the tweets reads:
"The suggestion that I joined the APC is false and insulting. Those that are peddling this fake news should bury their heads in shame. With what we have witnessed I would rather die than join a filthy, rat-infested sinking ship like the Almajiri Peoples Congress (APC)."
What has changed?
Even though the PDP chieftain has denied joining the APC again, he no longer describes the ruling party with derogatory words.
In his tweet denying Governor Bello's claim that he has joined the APC, Fani-Kayode simply said:
"Though we have had meetings across party lines and we are in a season of political consultation I have not left the PDP."
Stay in your lane - Buhari's aide tells Fani-Kayode
Meanwhile, President Muhammadu Buhari's personal assistant on new media, Bashir Ahmad, has asked Fani-Kayode not to join the APC.
Ahmad stated this shortly after the former aviation minister said he is still in the PDP.
He simply tweeted:
"Please stay in your lane, sir."
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The "meetings across party lines" continue
Meanwhile, Fani-Kayode has moved on to meet another state governor (on the PDP's platform) as rumours of his possible defection to the APC continues to gain grounds.
This time, the ex-minister met with Governor Bello Matawalle of Zamfara state, a man he has repeatedly described as his personal friend.
It is not clear if there is any political undertone to the meeting held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
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Nurudeen Lawal is a Legit.ng journalist passionate about fact-checking/verification journalism. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Literature-in-English from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State. As Politics Editor, Nurudeen mostly writes on Nigeria’s political and socio-economic developments. He has attended different workshops, conferences and training on fact-checking and digital reporting, among others. Learn more about him on Twitter, @Nurudeen Lawal_
Source: Legit.ng
