There’re More Religious And Ethnic Bigots In PDP Than APC, Says Femi Fani-Kayode

Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has described those saying that the All Progressives Congress, APC, is dominated by Muslims as either being mischievous or simply ignorant.

In a statement on Sunday, Mr. Fani-Kayode noted that contrary to the contents of the list being circulated in the social media, the association has 37 interim national officers out of which 18 are Muslims and the remaining 17 Christians.

Perhaps the former minister meant to say 35 and not 37 because the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed in a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday, said “… We have 17 Christians and 18 Muslims (the best balance possible in the odd number of 35 posts that were shared).”

Femi-Fani-Kayode-2Mr.Fani-Kayode, who recently dumped the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party, PDP, for the APC, dared those circulating the half list to publish the full one alleging that it was a ploy by the PDP to discredit the budding association.

“Those that say that APC is a Muslim party and that are citing and passing around a long list of newly-appointed Muslim interim officers as evidence of this are either being mischievous or are just plain ignorant,” he said.

“The APC has 37 interim national officers on its interim National Executive Committee. 18 of those officers are Muslims and 17 are Christians.”

“Those that are publishing and spreading the all Muslim list in the media and the social websites and networks should be advised to go and publish the full list of ALL the national officers of the APC and not just the list of Muslim ones.

“This is merely a PDP ploy to sell a lie to the public and attempt to clothe it as truth and it shall not stand. The truth is that there are many more religious and ethnic bigots in the PDP and much more ignorance than there is in any other party in Nigeria.”

Mr Fani-Kayode recalled that “It is the National Chairman of the PDP by the name of Alhaji Bamanga Tukur and not that of the APC that recently described the Islamist terrorist organisation called Boko Haram as ”freedom fighters”.

He further added that it is the leader of the PDP by the name of President Goodluck Jonathan and not any APC leader that recently described Boko Haram as his “siblings” whom he “could not move against”.

“It is a leader of the PDP in the person of Governor Isa Yuguda who recently said that he knew the various factions in Boko Haram very well and that he knew what they could do and not do.”

The outspoken former minister claimed that PDP is secretly sympathetic to the cause of the insurgents whom he said have killed over 7000 Nigerians in the last two years under the watch of the PDP-led federal government.

He said, “So if you are looking for those that know Boko Haram well, that secretly sympathize with them and that are inclined to treat them with kid gloves look to the PDP. If you are looking for those that are ready to dine with that terrorist organisation and that have slaughtered over 7000 Nigerians in the last two years look to the PDP and not the APC.

“Our PDP Federal Government has been soft on terrorism from day one and this has led to the burning down and bombing of hundreds of churches all over the north.

“You tell me who has assisted the Boko Haram terrorists more in their evil quest- the weakness and cowardice of the Jonathan administration and their inability to provide the Nigerian people with security and protection when faced with terror or the rhetoric of the leadership of the APC.

“The latter have spoken out against terror on many occasions whilst the former tremble before it and appease it as if they were bed mates, soul-mates and political associates.

“Those that accuse the APC of being a party of Islamic fundamentalists, Islamists and terrorist sympathizers or a party for only Muslims are completely wrong. This is nothing but PDP propaganda. I despise and abhor Boko Haram yet I am in APC. I am not a Muslim but a practising and devout Pentecostal Christian yet I am there and there are millions of other Christians there too. We are all there.

“The APC belongs to all of us and not just the Muslims. And neither can the PDP be described as the Christian party because there is nothing that is wholesome, good or Christian about it’s behaviour and performance in the last 5 years.

“All this PDP propaganda has to stop and they should stop attempting to label others or to bring religion into politics.”