There are indications that the Nigerian former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, may not enjoy a safe landing in his new party, the All Progressives Congress, APC.
The former minister who is a well-known critic of President Muhammadu Buhari was on Thursday unveiled as a new member of the party after his defection from the major opposition party, Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Speaking with newsmen after the announcement of his defection, the former minister claimed to have been instrumental to the defection of three governors that recently joined the party.
The governors are Matawalle of Zamfara, David Umahi of Ebonyi and Ben Ayade of Cross River.
“I was instrumental to the events that led to the defection of the three governors,” he claimed.
Meanwhile, some political stalwarts in the APC who are not on the same page with Fani-Kayode, are quick to make their feelings known.
Ebonyi State Governor David Umahi while speaking of Fani-Kayode’s defection, chided him for claiming glory over his defection to APC.
He called on him to withdraw the lies, adding that the former minister did not even know when he decided to dump the Peoples Democratic Party for the APC.
“I think he (Fani-Kayode) needs to withdraw that statement. He’s my good friend but it was an insult on my person and the other governors.
“The man did not know when I moved, but incidentally he visited me and we discussed, and he said he was coming to join me with the other governors to declare.”
On his path, the Special Adviser to President Muhammadu Buhari on Political Matters, Babafemi Ojudu, while speaking on the former Aviation Minister’s defection, expressed sadness.
He described the day of Fani-Kayode’s defection as the saddest day in his political career, recalling how Fani-Kayode once vowed he would never join the APC.
“This is the saddest day of my political career,” Ojudu posted on his Facebook page.
Ojudu subsequently shared a previous vow by FFK that he would never join APC and that “I prefer to die than join APC”.
Amid all these, political analysts are quick to point out that Fani-Kayode’s arrival in APC will create more camps in the party as his arch enemies in the party would prefer to dine with him with ‘long spoons’.
According to them, some of the APC stalwarts would be careful in dealing with him as he may be seen as a mole in the party.
Meanwhile, a source in the party had hinted that the former minister has an important role to play in the party, especially ahead of 2023.
Fani-Kayode is known to be a critic of President Buhari since he defeated former President Goodluck Jonathan to emerge the president of the nation in 2015.