19th September, 2021
PRESS
RELEASE:
FANI-KAYODE : WE ARE
VINDICATED - MURIC
Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, a chieftain of the opposition People’s Democratic
Party (PDP) and a bitter critic of President Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), recently
switched his loyalty to the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC)
and poured encomiums on the Nigerian president. Meanwhile an Islamic human
rights organisation, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has declared that the
development vindicates its stand.
MURIC’s
declaration came in a press statement issued on Sunday, 19th
September, 2021 by the group’s director and founder, Professor Ishaq Akintola.
The statement
reads:
“Chief Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), a chieftain of
the opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and a bitter critic of President
Muhammadu Buhari (PMB), recently decamped to the ruling party, the All
Progressives Congress (APC) and poured encomiums on PMB.
“Although a
tornado of criticism has greeted FFK’s action, we will not join those who
looked at the issue from one angle only. Rather we will reflect deep and far to
enable us see the precious treasure hidden behind the hard stones. The rose is
a very beautiful flower if you care to ignore its stem which is full of thorns.
“This is a man
who has brazenly supported secessionists, irredentists and separatists. Nigeria
drifted to the precipice of war and destruction as a result of the agitations
of the groups supported by him. But today, FFK in his new camp is most likely
to promote a united Nigeria. Perhaps he can persuade some of his former
co-travellers to do a rethink. In short, Nigeria stands to gain more from FFK’s
volte-face.
“In
retrospect, we appreciate today what FFK’s father, Chief Remi Ade Fani Kayode
did in the 70s and 80s. He jettisoned ethnic politics by extending a hand of
fellowship to the North in order to demonstrate his desire for a strong and
united Nigeria.
“His son, Chief
Femi Fani Kayode, has today replicated the same handshake across the Niger.
FFK’s change of heart should be seen from a positive angle, particularly by
those who mean well for Nigeria. We must forget that he has abused virtually
everybody (including MURIC and its founder) who did not see things the way he
did. But he must be saluted for his sportsmanship.
“Just as
courtesy demands that we appreciate PMB for his patience and fatherly
dispensation towards his critics, chivalry demands that we stand up for FFK
today and we call on all Nigerians to do same, to forgive, to forbear, to show
understanding.
“Perhaps
this new development will enable all of us to see that claims of Islamisation
and Fulanisation exist only in the figment of imagination of its authors.
Afterall the man who started it all eventually came to Aso Rock and he was
neither Islamised nor Fulanised.
“We assert
clearly, unequivocally and unambiguously that MURIC is vindicated. Fani Kayode
has seen in PMB what MURIC saw eight years ago when we started supporting his
campaign for the presidency. He has seen PMB’s style of nursing malice for no
one and having charity for all, including his enemies. It won him over. He saw
PMB’s achievements, his transparency.
“FFK saw how a
political party spent $16 billion providing darkness for Nigerians. He saw how
$2.1 billion arms money was diveted to private pockets. In sharp contrast, he
is now a living witness to the kind of development that can occur in a country
when its leader is not a kleptomaniac.
“He has seen the
second Niger bridge which is nearing completion, the fully airconditioned trains
which make mincemeat of London trains, macadamized roads in the South East (the
same South East which some claim that PMB hates), South West and South South
and the North, etc. He knows this is what happens when the leader does not
steal. All these humbled him. It is to the credit of FFK that he was able to
see virtues in PMB which other critics failed or refused to see.
“All these
made FFK to conclude, in his own words, that PMB is the ‘Father of modern
Nigeria’. Note that MURIC used exactly the same epithet for PMB in its newyear
message of 1st January, 2020 entitled ‘MURIC Thanks Buhari For
Reviving Nigeria’. To quote MURIC verbatim, we said inter alia, ‘MURIC
celebrates Muhammadu Buhari. A father of Modern Nigeria has emerged. Buhari is
the gem among other African leaders’. FFK has used the same words ‘Father of
modern Nigeria’ to describe PMB. We are vindicated.
“Our own
detractors fought tooth and nail to turn MURIC against PMB but they can now see
what they failed to see before. We reiterate what we have said more than a
dozen times. We were not attracted to PMB by his faith or his political party.
We are neither religious bigots nor politicians.
“What attracted
us to PMB is his Spartan way of life, his transparency, honesty and
accountability. We will do the same for any future Nigerian leader who
possesses these sterling qualities whether he is a Christian or a Muslim.
Following the same principled stand, we will distance ourself from any leader
who lacks those noble traits. The concern of the Muslim Rights Concern is the
welfare of Nigerians. Our ultimate goal is the greatness of Nigeria.
“We call on all
separatists and irredentist elements to do a rethink. Let us take a deep breath
and objectively consider what PMB has achieved in the past 12 months. We will
never have a president who has no fault at all unless we expect the Supreme
Maker Himself to come and govern us physically. But that is impossible. We call
on other sworn adversaries to borrow a leaf from FFK.
“Nigerians have
one or two lessons to learn from this incident. The most important one is that
there are no permanent enemies in politics, neither is there an eternal friend.
Carpet crossing is not alien to Nigerian politics. It is the magnitude of the
FFK phenomenon that shocked Nigerians. Yet it will not end there. Leave
Fani-Kayode alone. His flip-flop is not the first and it will not be the last.
“Our final
message to Nigerians is this, ‘Seek not to crucify FFK, rather salute his
courage to see the truth and to embrace that truth’. We thank Allah that
Nigeria has not gone up in flames before this realization dawned on FFK. We
must pray for more closing of ranks between those in the one Nigeria camp and those
clamouring for a divided Nigeria before we all start biting our fingers and
lamenting, ‘Oh God! What have we done?’”
Professor Ishaq Akintola,
Director,
Muslim
Rights Concern (MURIC)
