The All Progressives Congress (APC) has asked former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-Kayode to retract his comment alleging that APC ― through its National Publicity Secretary, Lai Mohammed― condemned the Federal Government for proscribing the terror group, Boko Haram or face a legal action.
In a statement issued by Mohammed in Lagos on Monday the party said it has at no time issued a statement condemning the proscription of Boko Haram, challenging Fani-Kayode to produce such a statement if he was so sure the APC issued it.
“I have caused my attorneys to formally write both Fani-Kayode and Channel television, where he made his allegation, to retract the statement and apologise, failing which I will sue for defamation of character,” Mohammed said.
He stated in the press release that the position of APC on Boko Haram has been well articulated and at no time has the party condemned the government for proscribing it.
“When the state of emergency was declared on three northern states, we criticised it and we stand by that. But we did not condemn the proscription of Boko Haram. We are not Boko Haram sympathisers and we cannot be under any circumstance,” Mohammed said.
The party also condemned Mr. Fani-Kayode’s description of Boko Haram as the armed wing of the APC, saying the statement is most irresponsible, uncharitable and without basis.
“Equally irresponsible and condemnable is Mr. Fani-Kayode’s deliberate distortion of statements made in the past by Gen. Muhammadu Buhari to mean that he or his party is a sympathizer of Boko Haram,” Mohammed said.
He said Fani-Kayode’s latter day castigation of opposition politicians, after he returned to his vomit and repudiated all the damaging statements he made publicly in the past about the PDP and the Jonathan administration, is not based on any altruistic considerations.
“It is common knowledge that Mr. Fani-Kayode has been charged by the Federal Government with money laundering. The trial is almost ending, and he knows he faces a certain jail term if convicted,” Mohammed explained.
“It is therefore not impossible that Mr. Fani-Kayode may be seeking to ingratiate himself to the FG by using various media platforms to destroy the APC through accusing its leaders of being Boko Haram sponsors or that the party is bent on fielding a Muslim/Muslim ticket in next year’s presidential elections.
“Unfortunately, in his eagerness to please the FG and cut a deal to avoid going to jail, he has resorted to pathological lies aimed at calling the dog a bad name in order to hang it. Whatever evidence he has to prove that our party is a sponsor of Boko Haram, he should be prepared to tender such in court.”
