Politics

Coup threat: Leave Fani-Kayode alone, APC campaign tells police

The All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council has warned the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) to stay out of the interrogation of the council’s member, Femi Fani-Kayode, by the Department of State Services (DSS) over his tweet on a purported meeting of the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, with some Army Generals.

The APC campaign council said the police should allow the DSS complete its investigation on the meeting claimed by Fani-Kayode, who is the Director of Special Projects and New Media of the council.

Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation, had said Atiku met with some military officers to scuttle the 2023 general election.

The DSS, in a statement issued on Tuesday night, while explaining the reason for Fani-Kayode’s invitation, said it was in respect of an investigation of some of his allegations and insinuations relating to issues relevant to national security.

However, the Director, Media and Publicity, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Bayo Onanuga, in a statement issued on Wednesday, said the police should allow the DSS complete its investigation.

Onanuga stated: “Despite the well-publicized invitation of Chief Femi Fani-Kayode by the DSS and the report that the secret police asked him to return for further investigation today, we were surprised that the police have also jumped into the same matter.

“On Tuesday the AIG Federal Investigation Bureau also invited Fani-Kayode for questioning.

“The APC-PCC is concerned about the latest invitation by another security agency, just some 10 days to the election, when he is most needed as our director of New Media.

“While we are not questioning the authority of the police to invite our official, we want the police to be mindful that the truth they seek to find is already being pursued by the DSS.

“They should allow the DSS to complete its investigation.

“Chief Fani-Kayode upon his first interview by the DSS, described the agency as ‘very professional’, in the way the operatives grilled him on a tweet accusing one of the opposition leaders of cooking something with the military authorities. The DSS at the meeting made it clear to him that the basis of his tweet, a newspaper report, was not correct.

“Fani-Kayode will have another round of grilling by the DSS today.

“We want the police to allow the investigation go its full course, so that they do not open themselves to suspicions that they were implementing an agenda scripted by the opposition.

“Chief Fani-Kayode is a respected Nigerian and had served his country as minister of aviation. He will be available any time to answer for his actions,” he said.

The Star