Chief Femi Fani-Kayode recently emerged as a newly found “cynosure” of the media and cyberspace following his meeting with some leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in what has raised speculation over a possible sensational return to his former home.
Yesterday I had the honor & privilage of having a very productive & important meeting with the Nat. Chairman of the APC, Gov. Mai Buni of Yobe state & Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi state. We discussed the state of the nation, national issues, party politics & the way forward. 1/ pic.twitter.com/eQKMbHVidc
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) February 9, 2021
It would be recalled that on Monday, February 8, the controversial ex-minister of aviation met with Kogi state governor Yahaya Bello and Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe state, both leaders of the ruling party.
The meeting has since been generating massive reactions with many suggesting that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain may be plotting a return back to the ruling party.
To fuel the speculation, he uploaded the pictures of him with the APC governors on all his social media handles, creating anxiety over the possibility of the PDP losing one of its knights after Governor Dave Umahi of Ebonyi state.
Although Fani-Kayode on Wednesday denied defecting to the APC, Governor Bello in a now-viral video said the PDP chieftain is on the train of the APC. Amid speculations and counter-argument, Legit.ng notes that the FFK, as fondly called, may eventually return to the party he once labelled “Almajiri Peoples Congress.” And the reasons are not far-fetched:
My team and I had the honor and privilege of spending a wonderful evening with President Goodluck Jonathan in his Abuja home last night. None like him. ❤ pic.twitter.com/SSIAzsuMrx
— Femi Fani-Kayode (@realFFK) February 10, 2021
1. Internal leadership crisis in PDP: There is no doubt that the opposition party PDP is going through a turbulent period ahead of 2023 with brewing crisis emerging from alleged bad leadership.
PDP, under the leadership of Prince Uche Secondus, has been buffeted with crises at the national level since the party failed to return to power in the 2019 general election. Most of the party’s leaders, including FFK, are said to have one or more grievances against the way the PDP is being run.
2. 2023 politics: The conversation on the 2023 presidency has been gaining prominence across regional and party belts. Politicians have also been picking interest.
PDP is reportedly said to be planning to zone its presidency ticket to the north since the bigwigs who are eyeing presidency through the party are mostly from the north (Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Attahiru Bafarawa and others). This has, according to reports from the party, angered some chieftains from the southwest and south-south including Fani-Kayode who claimed the party is going the ruined path with that decision.
3. Wike, other PDP governors taking central stage: Another problem that may force FFK out is how PDP governors led by Governor Nyesom Wike of Rivers are trying to hijack the structure of the party from other stakeholders.
Wike, a strong and influential member, is leading a revolt that many see as a turning point in PDP’s fate, albeit negatively. The Rivers governor is performing the role of Mala Buni in PDP. To make the matter worst, Wike announced that governors will be headlining the congress and other activities of the party including the Anambra election scheduled for November 2021.
4. Atiku factor, a nerve-centre and financial powerline of PDP, has not hidden his ambition to occupy the biggest office in the country. The former vice president and PDP’s presidential candidate in the 2019 general election has announced he will throw the hat into the ring again come 2023.
Fani-Kayode and other PDP leaders from the southwest, however, feel it will be an insult if the power returns back to the north after the 8-year-rule of President Buhari.
Many PDP leaders, internal sources claimed, are willing to leave the party if there is no rethink on the move to give Atiku ticket again.
Meanwhile, FFK in a tweet took a swipe at the former vice president as he shared the picture of him (Atiku) with Sheikh Ahmad Gumi and the cleric’s picture with bandits.
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