Tinubu-led ECOWAS Biggest Mistake Was Threatening Military Action Against Niger Republic Coup Leaders —Fani-Kayode

 

Former Minister of Aviation and a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that the threat of military action against the Niger Republic coup leaders by the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) led by Nigerian President Bola Tinubu was a terrible mistake.

Mr Fani-Kayode who stated this in a statement titled, “Niger Republic: A Word Of Caution To The Dogs Of War”, said that it would be inappropriate for Nigeria, as a sovereign nation, to be held responsible for the socioeconomic problems created in Niger Republic by France.

He added that it will be unjust for the Nigerian government to allow our military personnel to be used as tools to foster French maltreatment of African countries.

He said, “I am on record as saying that if Niger Republic, Burkina Faso, Mali or ANY OTHER country attacks Nigeria, violates our territorial integrity, or attempts to take one inch of our nation, we must and will fight them to the last man.

“I have also said that Nigeria’s defence budget is FAR higher than all the other 14 countries in West Africa PUT TOGETHER, and that there is no nation in our sub-region that can defeat us in a military conflict despite our many challenges. I stand by these words.

“I am however constrained to add the following as a word of caution to those who seek to ‘cry havoc and unleash the dogs of war’ and as a piece of unsolicited advice to the advocates of military invasion.

“It would be imprudent and unwise for Nigeria to attempt to clean up France’s mess in Niger Republic. The French are the most rappacious, greedy, vicious, pervasive, destructive and unrelenting neo-colonial foreign power on the African continent.

They have done nothing for Africa other than pillage, rape, undermine, plunder and take advantage of her. To deploy our military, go to war and allow Nigerian blood to be spilled just to help her to continue to gang rape the citizens of Niger Republic and subject them to slavery would be unjust, wicked, short-sighted, stupid and counter-productive.

“Worse still it would have implications for the stability of our nation, our entire sub-region and our increasingly-fruitful relationship with President Putin and the Russian Federation who are slowly emerging as Africa’s best friend and, together with the Chinese, appear to be the only foreign power that truly seeks to assist and support the growth and development of African countries.

“To those who believe that Nigeria ought to continue to be the poodle, local enforcer and hatchet man of the French, the Europeans, the British and the Americans in our sub-region, I ask the following: who do they think is behind Boko Haram and ISWAP and why did these so-called Western allies refuse to sell us arms to fight those two terrorist organisations until Trump came along? And of course since Trump left we have been given nothing.”

Fani-Kayode added that the western world want to fight a war against Nigeria’s African brothers, causing a cauldron of fire in the West and North African subregion.

They also want Northern Nigeria and the entire African Sahel region to be burned to ashes, similar to Ukraine, Iraq, Syria, Libya, and Afghanistan, he said.

He continued: “We must never allow this to happen, and if the truth be told the biggest mistake that ECOWAS made in the first place was to threaten Niger Republic with military action if the coupists refused to step down and restore President Bazoum to power.

“I say this because once a threat is issued and it is not followed up with action, you look weak, ineffectual and pathetic. That is the quandary we are now in and the wisest thing to do at this point is to step back from the brink and rhetoric of war and engage in diplomacy.

“Deploying our troops into our neighbour’s country in an attempt to effect regime change on behalf of a bunch of power-obsessed feral psychopaths like the French whose primary dream and fantasy has always been the dismemberment, destabilisation and destruction of Nigeria is asinine and unacceptable.

“To do the dirty work for a nation that stood on the wrong side during our civil war and that almost pushed us into a war with the Cameroons over the Bakassi Peninsular is deeply insulting to our sensibilities.

“I do not support military governments and I cannot abide or stomach the way in which Niger Republic, Mali and Burkina Faso have threatened, insulted and made a mockery of our nation and people over the last few days, but one thing is clear : the military regimes in all of those three countries are wildly popular and the hatred for France in each of them is palpable and irreversible.

“Why should we get involved in all this? This is not our fight and if we choose to stand on the side of the French imperialists, neo-colonialists and oppressors against the will of the people of these three sovereign nations it may well result in chaos, mutiny, rebellion and a revolution in our own country. This must be avoided at all costs.

“It is time to get sense and sheath our swords. This whole thing is obviously a Western conspiracy and trap and we must ensure that our newly-elected president does not fall into it.

“This is the time for restraint and wise counsel to prevail. This is the time for us to put our national interest before that of any other. This is the time for us to indulge in some sober reflection and reject any gung-ho and bellicose action that would ultimately result in a reversal of the great strides that we have made as a nation over the last 24 years and the destruction of our great country.”

We’ll Make Nigeria Ungovernable If Labour Party, PDP Attempt To Stop Tinubu’s Swearing In — Fani-Kayode

 

Former Minister of Aviation and member of the All Progressives Congress presidential campaign council, Femi Fani-Kayode, has threatened the supporters of the opposition parties – Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party – to desist from their attempts to annul the 2023 presidential election which produced Bola Tinubu.

 

Fani-Kayode said this in a release on Saturday, adding that the country would be made ungovernable if supporters of Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi did not stop their protests against the result of the 2023 election.

He said, “As a consequence of the events of the last few days I am constrained to say that, the Nigerian opposition, represented by the followers of Atiku Abubakar (Atikulators) and the followers of Peter Obi (Obidients), have lost control of their senses.

“They need to get a grip before it is too late. They are attempting to start something that they cannot finish and that they cannot possibly fathom the end of. They are beating the drums of war and are indulging in a level of irresponsible and downright dangerous behaviour that has NEVER been witnessed before in the annals of the history of our politics.

“As a consequence of their subterranean manipulations, byzantine conspiracies, unhinged vituperations and unbridled desperation things are getting very hot and they are pushing us towards an Armageddon-like melt down and the road to Kigali.

“Be rest assured that had it not been for impartiality, strong resolve, persistent interventions and sheer professionalism of our intelligence agencies and particularly the DSS who have worked day and night to keep the peace and stop us from tearing each other apart, we would have trod that disastrous path and met a bitter end long ago.

“The signals are not good and, unless they exercise restraint, reflect sobriety and change course quickly, it is clear that our nation will soon find itself in a cataclysmic and monumental struggle between the forces of light and darkness, the likes of which have never been seen before.

“Permit me to offer some free and unsolicited advice to them and to those that are stoking their insufferable and rabid arrogance, intransigence and belligerence from behind the scenes.”

“Peace is priceless and unity is a fundamental pre-requisite to progress and prosperity: you must learn to cherish them both. That you have lost today does not mean you will lose forever.

“I counsel you to calm down, purge yourself of hate, sheath your sword of war, drop your dastardly game plan and not so hidden agenda to establish an Interim Government, desist from displaying madness, bend the knee and bow to your President-elect, refrain from weaponising falsehood, act within the law and, if you must, make your protestations quietly in an atmosphere of peace and tranquility and there will be no problems.

“Go to court, if you must, and state your case with respect, dignity and decorum and I assure you that, no matter the outcome, there will be NO issues. That is what democracy and the rule of law is all about. You win some and you lose some.

“However if you continue to say you do not believe in the system or institutions, that the President-elect must not be sworn in under any circumstances and that you have no faith in the courts or the rule of law and you encourage people to take the law into their own hands then you are inviting chaos, anarchy, violence, tyranny, fascism, treason, a breach of the constitution and the law of the jungle and we will NOT sit by idly and allow that.

“Let this serve as a timely warning. We cannot be a punching bag for the opposition forever and soon we will react. Trust me when I tell you that if there is any foul play in this matter or any conspiracy to thwart the people’s will, we will make this nation ungovernable.”

 

Update: DSS Releases Ex-Minister, Fani-Kayode After Six-Hour Interrogation

Femi Fani-Kayode, has been freed by the Department of State Services (DSS) after grilling him for six hours over his claim that certain politicians are collaborating with the military high command in preparation for a possible coup.

 

 The Director, Media and Publicity of the All Progressives Congress Tinubu/Shettima Campaign, Bayo Onanuga, disclosed this on Monday via his official Twitter handle.

“Femi Fani-Kayode released by DSS after about six hours of interrogation,” he wrote.

Fani-Kayode an All Progressives Congress (APC) chief, was earlier summoned by the DSS for questioning, according to Dr. Peter Afunanya, the DSS’s Public Relations Officer.

Afunanya had said: “Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has been with the DSS since 9am today 13/02/23 in response to the invitation extended to him by the Service.”

This is not the first time Fani-Kayode would be alleged of corruption.

In January 2022, The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) re-arraigned him on an amended 17-count charge of money laundering.

Fani-Kayode was charged alongside a former Minister of State for Finance, Nenandi Usman, before a Federal High Court in Lagos State.