Re: The Coward Alleged As Akpabio – By Okanga Agila

Nigeria has so many worthless politicians who bestrode the political space, priding in empty dignity, but simultaneously flaunting a badge of puritanism gulfed absolutely by even its surficial value.

The grand master of these mischievous games is former Aviation Minister and jailbird, Chief Femi Fani Kayode (aka FFK). Since his party, the PDP was ousted out of governance in 2015 through masses revolt, FFK has projected himself a restless soul. He has become an accidental essayist, analysts, and commentator and letter writer on every national issue like his mentor and political godfather, former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

What painfully pierces the heart with pain and fury is the rubbish FFK spews every time, twisting facts and subjectively or maliciously discolouring every issue. He exudes this naïvely peculiar mentality of sole author of wisdom and knowledge.

Anytime, he is outsmarted in his pranks, as a person or his political party- the PDP suffers collateral damages on the political turf, he goes berserk. But instead of licking his wounds quietly, he goes on elaborate public proselyting on public ethics, dishing out near insane stupidities.

FFK is very inconsistent in character. He is propelled by where the field is greener. One can earn his praises  today; but by tomorrow, the same person becomes his mortal enemy for very selfish reasons. He has just turned his mouthy pastime on former Governor of Akwa Ibom state and serving Senator, Chief Godswill Akpabio.

Apparently, angered by the planned defection of Sen. Akpabio from the PDP to the progressive APC, as usual FFK released a lengthy diatribe against this leader whose political milestones are beyond the comprehension of feeble minds like him.

In an article titled, “The Coward Alleged As Akpabio,” a baselessly enraged FFK unleashed an indiscernible venom on the personality and inalienable liberties of Sen. Akpabio to free association, by resorting to name-calling like a little brat slapped by a hated neighbor. FFK’s indignation bubbled to no end, when he learnt Akpabio travelled to London and met with President Muhammadu Buhari, to finalise his defection plans on August 8, 2018.

Part of the package which irked FFK more was Sen. Akpabio’s promise of not only returning to APC, but also delivering Akwa Ibom and the entire South-South to APC in the forthcoming general elections. So, to a little, polluted mind like FFK, he feels Sen. Akpabio is not entitled to such liberties and therefore, “a coward, traitor and treacherous,” as if the former Governor signed any pact in a shrine with him to eternally remain in PDP.

It’s even difficult to understand what Akpabio and FFK share in common; rather what is pronounced is the dissimilarities between the duo. But in all nuances, Sen. Akpabio is a more clear-headed man, who is not excited by the frenzy of politicking for personal interests. He can differentiate between dusk and dawn. And in the past three years, leadership of Nigeria by President Muhammadu Buhari has epitomised the break of dawn.

Sen. Akpabio has refused to be blinded by partisanship and quite astounded that President Buhari has accomplished for Nigeria in just three years. It is what his original party, the PDP, where FFK is gratuitously tied, could not approximate in 16 years of controlling power in the country.

Akpabio’s voice is merely the loudest of the other positive voices of millions of Nigerians, who are shouting on rooftops in favour of President Buhari and the APC. FFK is lost in the fields about what is happening in Nigeria today; that is, the rebirth of the country; the developmental strides; leadership sincerity and commitment, which cumulatively surpasses the personalised affinity to a political party as FFK delights at the moment.

FFK has the right to get angry and quote Bible versus more than a Pastor. But he can pardon Nigerians and Sen. Akpabio in particular.

Sen. Akpabio truthfully and unpersuasively echoed from the bottom of his heart to President Buhari that; “You remain the father of the nation, our father and political father to all. Just like I told Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Osinbajo yesterday in Nigeria… Those who think that they have politically grown to insult you will all regret it before month end sir. I am here (London) to register my undiluted love and unalloyed support to you.”

The pains are visibly much in FFK because he feels his campaigns of calumny against President Buhari and the excited dodgy steps of his co-travellers and renegades in the game of dumping APC have not affected or diminished the worth of the Buhari Presidency in the eyes of Nigerians.

So, FFK’s bile criticisms of Sen. Akpabio and all clear-minded Nigerians who freed their conscience into the camp of the progressives cannot halt the train from reaching its destination. The journey of nationhood is on course.

Its laughable for FFK to hurl tirades on failure of Sen. Akpabio to make sacrifices for his nation, which he fondly roots in Akpabio’s dread of his past and possible prosecution by the Buhari regime. President Buhari does not prosecute people; rather the EFCC, which is lawfully established and independent, goes after those who have looted Nigeria like FFK.

Sen. Akpabio has abandoned the PDP because he has found a bright light at the end of the dark tunnel that was of the PDP fame and pests like him. But in scolding Sen. Akpabio blatantly, FFK conveniently forgot that in 2013, he erected an opposition within the same PDP he claims to cherish today more than anyone else.

Popular as a man who has no thoughts or actions of his own, until either influenced or pushed like a robot, FFK followed OBJ’s opposition to the Jonathan Presidency. But when he discovered that his court case of alleged corruption and embezzlement of public funds when he served variously as minister in the Aviation and later, Culture and Tourism ministries, what did he do?

FFK chewed his words and swallowed his vomit. He backed down on the opposition to the then President Goodluck Jonathan, abandoned his boss, OBJ and further placated GEJ by serving on the 2015 Jonathan Campaign Organisation for re-election. OBJ who understands him perfectly said, with food in his mouth, FFK can sell his own father.

Since the leopard does not leave its spots, FFK again allegedly partook in the Dasukigate scandal over the arms procurement fraud, by embezzling fresh funds. This same character is bold enough and plays out the guts of casting aspersions on another leader of dreading EFCC, much more, the Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Akpabio.

And FFK is so concerned with what happens to Nigeria, which smacks of abuse of the hospitality the venerable Nigerian Bishop Ajayi Crowther offered his slave father who was rescued at Badagry, aboard a slave ship from Sierra Leone to Europe. The clergy man offered his father protection, adopted him as his son, trained and resettled him in Yoruba land, where he begot children including FFK.

FFK is challenged to trace his paternal lineage two or three generations before his immediate father in Yoruba land. Why has FFK never been bothered about what happens in Sierra Leone, his home country, even it was embroiled in a civil war, but more concerned about what happens to Nigeria? He should devout more time tracing his roots.

FFK is free to vent his spleen. But Sen. Akpabio is on a higher status in class and leadership foresight in Nigeria. In any case, it does not escape the mind that what FFK has succeeded in trumpeting is the inevitable final death of PDP, and the mournful dirge as reflected in the piece would not be pitied by millions of President Buhari’s admirers and supporters who are ready to sink his ilk and raise APC to the sky, beyond imagination.

Sen. Akpabio is only a symbol of the overwhelming opinions expressed in actions by many Nigerians and he has done the right thing by defecting to the APC. For Akpabio, the August 8, 2018 date is indeed a nightmarish reality to the likes of FFK.

Okanga writes from Agila, Benue State.