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Last Sunday, February22 Rotimi Amaechi, the Rivers State Governor and Director General of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Organisation, and Femi Fani-Kayode, a former Minister of Aviation and Director of Media and Publicity of Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, were guests on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today.
The two ended up targeting diatribes at each other and exchanged abuses while they featured on different belts of the programme.
Speaking first, Amaechi had dismissed Fani-Kayode as someone who “does not have credibility”. The Rivers Governor was responding to a question from anchor, Seun Okinbaloye, who quoted Fani-Kayode as alleging that the APC was planning to rig the forthcoming elections.
In response, Amaechi said, “Fani-Kayode does not have credibility. If the right person speaks, then we will respond. Fani-Kayode lacks the credibility. Let’s move to another issues.”
A belligerent Fani-Kayode later came on the programme, following Amaechi’s departure. He responded angrily to Mr. Amaechi’s comments, saying the governor was not on the same intellectual and social level with him. “Perhaps, it is only in Nigeria that a man with his background, in spite of the things he did when he was young; in spite of the things he did when he was in the university, could become a governor. By the way he became governor without even winning an election,” Fani-Kayode said.
However, one of Amaechi’s aides, who does not want his name in print, since their principal had told them not to reply, has reacted to Fani-Kayode’s attack on the Rivers State governor.
According to the aide, who spoke to The us, “What intellectual credentials does a Fani-Kayode boast? He probably meant intellectual roguery typified by survivalist instinct. His like can only find a placement in a disoriented administration like this because it has never been about conviction or what he believes in, but what provides the means to clear his ever increasing bills. He is a thief without honour and his roguery is not defined by any class marker. What a waste of time engaging such an elevated lowlife. The simplest way to situate this is in the context of those who have been engaged contractually to clean up the mess of this administration. Is it not baffling to note that a majority of them had at one time or the other written off this government, only to realise that with the palpable ineptitude of the presidency, the best time for anyone to make some loose and irretrievable cash is now and so, they hopped on the rudderless ship and headed on the highway to nowhere.
Still dribbling with more vitriol, the aide said, “Take a poll round and tell me which credible individual would want to touch a Fani-Kayode with the longest of spoons? None! Why? He’s traded every tinge of noble upbringing he may have had for a plate (not even a pot) of pottage. He is a cheapskate with tawdry idea to life. He is what the Yoruba call “Alatenuje”. Therefore, should any progressive mind bother about such a character? I won’t; don’t know about you. So, when you locate that hypothesis in its apt context, the most prosaic question to ask would be: what has therefore changed? My answer? The only thing that has changed is between the craving for their stomach and the deteriorating socio-political economy of the country. If this is the Nigeria of their dream, it is not mine. They are so myopic in their extrapolation that they failed to realise that if Nigeria fails, there will be no country to spend the stolen money or the illegally acquired wealth. They have limited reasoning and are driven by sheer greed.” he said.
