FORMER Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has defended his recent defection to the All Progressive Congress (APC), saying it was not the same party he spoke so many unprintable things about in the past.
“Let me put this to you; a lot has happened in the APC itself over the last few years. The APC I was speaking about at that time is not the APC of today. The APC of that time, I will say any day, anywhere, did not have the leadership that they have today,” he said while he appeared on Channels Television Politics Today on Thursday.
He said that the party’s current leadership under the Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni was more accommodating in bringing people of various divides together.
He noted that there was no way he would have returned to the party with his old leadership.
“Today, you have a man who is a national chairman, caretaker committee of APC; that is governor Mai Buni, who has done exceptionally well in attracting people and presenting a broad-based, liberal, pluralistic view on national issues and national affairs.
“He has opened the door of the party to all manner of people with a plurality of views. We might not agree on everything, but certainly, there is a place for you in a wider family.
“That is the difference between that time and this time. The old leadership of APC was a very different thing, and I would never have joined them had the leadership not changed. What we have today is an accommodating party that is ready to take people in and ready to listen to dissenting opinions even from within, provided you conduct yourself in a decent manner.”
Fani-Kayode was officially presented to President Muhammadu Buhari as a member of the APC by Governor Buni on Thursday, ending months of denial and speculations in the media.
The former minister, who is currently facing economic charges by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), described the APC as ‘the Almajiri Peoples Congress (APC).’
He was also a fierce critic of Buhari’s administration and policies.
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