Fani-Kayode Mentions How He and Reno Omokri Retracted Harsh Criticism of Tinubu Years Ago
- Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, said he and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, had retracted past harsh criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu years ago
- He denied ever accusing President Tinubu of involvement in the death of former Lagos state governorship candidate, Chief Funso Williams, describing the claims as false
- Fani-Kayode explained that the comments were made during the heated 2015 presidential campaign when he served as the director of Media and Publicity of the PDP Presidential Campaign Organisation
Former minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that both he and former presidential aide, Reno Omokri, retracted their harsh criticisms of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu several years ago.
The former minister likewise rejected attempts to associate them with a criminal defamation case involving activist Omoyele Sowore.
Source: UGC
Fani-Kayode made the clarification after claims that Sowore cited statements allegedly made by him over a decade ago to justify remarks that are now the subject of legal proceedings.
Allegation over Funso Williams described as false
Addressing the issue, Fani-Kayode denied ever accusing President Tinubu of being responsible for the death of former Lagos State governorship candidate, Chief Funso Williams, in 2003.
“That allegation is untrue. I never said that President Tinubu killed Funso Williams,” he said.
He explained that the statement he made at the time was, “I am not Funso Williams; I cannot be killed like a chicken,” adding that the remark had since been withdrawn after he acknowledged it was inappropriate and capable of being misunderstood.
Comments traced to heated 2015 election campaign
Fani-Kayode said the comments were made during the 2015 presidential election campaign when he served as Director of Media and Publicity of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organisation under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dailytrust reported.
He noted that intense political rivalry during election periods often leads to sharp exchanges.
“Election campaigns are usually heated, and strong words are sometimes used. That is not peculiar to Nigeria,” he said.
From critic to Tinubu campaign strategist
The former minister disclosed that he left the PDP in 2020 and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2021, after which he became a strong supporter of Tinubu.
He said he later served as Director of New Media and Special Operations in Tinubu’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Organisation, leading a directorate of about 250 people and contributing to the president’s electoral victory.
Since Tinubu assumed office, Fani-Kayode said he has continued to publicly defend and support the administration.
Omokri also withdrew criticisms, Fani-Kayode says
Fani-Kayode added that although Reno Omokri opposed Tinubu’s candidacy during the 2023 elections, he later retracted his criticisms following the president’s victory and now supports his policies.
Source: Twitter
According to him, attempts to link either himself or Omokri to Sowore’s legal challenges were “absurd and misleading”.
He urged Sowore to withdraw his statements about the president or be prepared to defend them in court.
Analyst tackles Fani-Kayode
A political analyst, while speaking with Legit.ng on Sunday, February 8, has described Fani-Kayode’s remarks as an attempt to clarify political alignment and manage public perception.
Reacting to the statement, Hamma Hayatu, a political scientist and public affairs analyst, said the clarification was strategic.
“Fani-Kayode is trying to draw a clear line between past political rhetoric and his current stance. By stressing that he and Reno Omokri retracted their criticisms long ago, he is distancing himself from ongoing controversies and signalling loyalty to the Tinubu administration, while also avoiding legal or political fallout from the Sowore case.”
He added that such public clarifications are common in Nigeria’s fluid political space, where alliances and narratives often shift with changing power dynamics.
Tinubu praised for tolerance
Fani-Kayode concluded by praising President Tinubu for what he described as magnanimity and political tolerance, noting that the president had shown openness by welcoming former critics into his political fold. Vanguard reported.
Both Fani-Kayode and Omokri are among the ambassadorial nominees recently appointed by President Tinubu, a development that has generated widespread debate and criticism on social media due to their past opposition to the president and the ruling party.
Sowore: Court rejects evidence that Tinubu called Jonathan ‘drunkard’
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja on Wednesday, February 4, rejected an exhibit tendered by activist and former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore.
The exhibit alleged that President Bola Tinubu called former President Goodluck Jonathan a “drunkard” and a “sinking fisherman” in 2011.
Proofreading by Kola Muhammed, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng
