The Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has called on the Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Department of State Services (DSS) to investigate the Director of Special Projects and Social Media of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign, Femi Fani-Kayode, over allegations of a planned coup.
Fani-Kayode had claimed in a publication that Atiku Abubakar and top military personnel met to disrupt the forthcoming elections.
The Acting Director of Defence Information, Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, dismissed the claims made by the former Aviation Minister as false and described them as “wicked and very malicious propaganda.” The Nigerian Military also issued a statement calling the allegations “false claims just to heighten tension in the polity.”
In response, Atiku Abubakar’s Special Assistant, Public Communications, Phrank Shaibu, issued a statement urging the DSS, the police, and other relevant security agencies to question Fani-Kayode over the allegations, which border on treason. Shaibu stated that allegations of a coup should not be taken lightly and should be thoroughly investigated.
Shaibu also pointed out that Fani-Kayode has a history of lying and had been publicly blacklisted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists after a disgraceful outburst, News About Nigeria reports
He further stated that Fani-Kayode must not be given preferential treatment because he works for the ruling party, and compared his situation to that of the late Deputy Central Bank Governor, Obadiah Mailafia, who was investigated multiple times for making similar allegations.
In addition, Shaibu pointed out that Fani-Kayode has faced allegations of substance abuse, and is currently facing corruption charges.
He also noted that Fani-Kayode has been associated with Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who has been accused of laundering millions of dollars for drug kingpins by American authorities.
Shaibu emphasized that Fani-Kayode must be held accountable for the serious allegations he has made and must be invited to expiate or provide proof of his claims. He also stated that failure to do so would be seen as partisanship.
