2023 ELECTION: Two chieftains of two political parties – the All Progressive Congress (APC), Femi Fani Kayode, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, have both traced and blamed the devil for the raging crisis in the polity as their parties are rocked with peculiar challenges, even as Femi Kayode retracts critical comments about APC and Bola TInubu.
Basic Facts
- Chief Femi Fani Kayode has moved around the APC and PDP and have on each occasion tried to justify his decision for cross carpeting.
- He has previously demonized the APC, Buhari and Bola Tinubu for bad leadership and the negative turn of events in Nigeria since 2015 and corruption allegations.
- He also responded to comments made by Chief Bode George about Bola Tinubu, while ferociously defending the former Lagos State governor on allegations he (Femi) personally made against him (Tinubu).
What We Know
Chief Femi Fani Kayode on Wednesday night claimed that the devil that was in the APC has since been exorcised and cast into the PDP where it now holds sway with audacity.
The APC chieftain made this claims in a live television program on Wednesday monitored by Clariform reporter on Channels TV. Chief Kayode said that the devil which he had earlier said was in APC has already gone and that the party is now clean and pure.
To buttress his point he explained that the APC has honored the wishes of the majority of Nigerians by choosing a southern presidential candidate in an effort to shift power to the south.
On the contrary the PDP worked against this expectation and even in breach of their own constitution to elect a northern candidate where power has been for nearly 8 years running.
The APC chieftain had in the past spoken ill of the APC and had disparaged President Muhammadu Buhari for his style of administration and leadership in the country.
When confronted by the Channels TV anchor, with this previous records and statements about the party he now refers to as “our party”, he said that he can say anything at any time, and is allowed to change his mind and speak differently if he has convictions to do so.
Speaking separately on the same Politics Today program on Channels TV, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Bode George admitted that there is a devil in PDP, which is responsible for the current trouble in the party.
While reacting to a question about the rift between Atiku and Wike, Chief Bode George said it appears to him that “some kind of devil” has entered the PDP and is responsible for the rift.
Speaking further, he appealed to the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike and the PDP presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to “cool down” and find solution to the crisis rocking the party.
Chief Bode George further cautioned the duo of Atiku and Wike not to allow their personal ambitions continue to cause trouble for the party. He enjoined them to appreciate the fact that their ambitions cannot be bigger than the overall interest of the PDP.
Notable Quote
Responding to the implications of the rift between Wike and Atiku, Chief George said: “It is a major bother not only for me, it is a bother to a lot of the committed elders and members of the upper chamber of the party. It looks like some kind of devil has entered into the midst of our party,” he said.
“We have the capacity to resolve our crisis; we have enough experienced leaders, committed followers, who will sit and be able to resolve this crisis once and for all.
“Unfortunately we have a month and a week before we commence the campaign, my appeal now is that Governor Wike should cool down, presidential candidate Atiku should also cool down because none of their ambition should be bigger and higher than the ambition of our party. We are appealing to both of them.
“Because there is no organisation anywhere in the world that would not have crisis but the capacity and the ability to handle the resolution of such crisis would be a measure of how developed, reliable or respectable that organisation is.”
While responding to some claims made by Chief Bode George and the happenings in APC, Chief Kayode said: “First of all it appears that Chief Bode George have some form of personal axe to grind with Bola Tinubu. It really doesn’t matter to us. What matters is what the electorates think and what they will do.”
“There is no issue of corruption or any issue of maleficence on the part of Tinubu…nothing has been proved, EFCC has not gone after him…That alone should be respected.
When asked on why he is now speaking glowingly about Bola Tinubu and the APC that he has demonized in the past and how he feels talking differently now, morally speaking, he said:
It has “nothing do do with morals. It is a question of choices. It is my choice, and my choice is that when I was in the PDP and I was in the PDP for a number of years, I fought against those people who were against my party.
“Now I am no longer in the PDP, I am in the PDP. So, I am going to fight against those who are against my party. That is my nature, and I make this choices based on convictions and based on courage.”
Chief Femi Kayode then added, “I saw the devil years ago” as it was crippling into the PDP from the APC, and that was why he left.
Catch-up
Both the ruling APC and the opposition PDP have been enmeshed in political crisis a various nature as they grapple with the challenges of the political season penultimate the 2023 elections.
The parties have each successfully conducted its national convention and have submitted their respective presidential candidates and running mates to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) within the stipulated deadline.
However, the choice of a Muslim-Muslim ticket made by the APC has caused ripples both within the party and around the country, leading to cross carpeting, as some members of the APC have abandoned the party in favour of the opposition.
Also, the PDP have had its own share of troubles following its breach of its own constitution and zooning formula, by choosing a candidate from the northern bloc of the party instead of the south.
In addition to the zooning caterstrophy is also the rift between the party`s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar and the Rivers State governor, Nyesom Wike, which has divided the party into factions.
Takeaway
Clariform notes that the outburst from Chief Fani Kayode exposes so much about the content of his character as an individual and says so much about some Nigerian politicians.
The comments goes far enough in setting the record straight about the place of morality and principle in political calculations in the country. It also explains the notion of party cross carpeting, which Nigerian politicians do without any caution.
For the one time PDP chieftain and now APC chieftain, it is fashionable to call Satan devilish in the morning and turn around in the evening and call him saintly, based on your “conviction” and “courage.”
The rattling on a national television as Channels TV by Chief Femi Fani Kayode is very shameful and a classical example of shameless ranting by a confused and very dangerous man whose words have come to mean very little or nothing to anyone who believes in morality and principles of character.
