A former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode has said Nigeria is in a critical condition that all politicians regardless of their party affiliation should work together to address its problems.
He affirmed that the security challenges in the country do not require shifting blames to political parties but for urgent action to be taken to salvage the country.
Fani-Kayode said this on Sunday Politics on Channels Television monitored by SaharaReporters on Sunday night.
He said this against a backdrop of the rumours that he was planning to leave the Peoples Democratic Party for the All Progressives Congress before the PDP chieftains convinced him to say.
“The security situation is so bad that it’s not just good enough for us to get up and be throwing stones at the president or the governors and saying they haven’t done enough. We proffer solutions through these problems that we are all facing.
“We’ve also been able to say things to them which we may not want to say publicly because it might even create greater problems. But this country is divided now, and it’s divided into regional, ethnic, and religious lines. We cannot run away from that fact.
“And when you look at what is happening in the North, you look at what is happening in the Middle Belt, you look at what is happening in the South West, to South South and to South East, all you see is chaos, carnage and murder and kidnappings everywhere, usually by the same suspects, and it’s a very tragic situation affecting each and every one of us.
“If you are a leader that is practising politics in a normal way, that’s to say that there is no point in the dialogue, then you are not really a leader. It’s time for us to come together, bury our differences as one and try to solve the problems of this country together.”
He also said he was not planning to leave the main opposition party, while admitting that he had political associates in the ruling party for them to dialogue in solving national issues.
“I wouldn’t say a U-turn was made, I said from the outset of this whole issue that I was in the PDP, I never said I was in the APC. What I said was that we were having discussions with very senior people within the APC who happen to be friends of mine.
“And, that we are close together to build this country together and close bridges and to ensure unity and progress. And of course, all kinds of things happening in politics. Suggestions are being made and negotiations have been listened to and options are being considered. But I never said I left the PDP. I’m still in the PDP.
“However, I have very close friends within the APC as I do within the PDP as well. It has always been the case with me that I believe in cross-fertilisation ideas and believe strongly closely working even with the people I don’t agree with politically.”
Reacting to the visit of the PDP Chairman, Prince Uche Secondus and other National Working Committee members to his house, Fani-Kayode maintained though he felt honoured, but that the discussions bordered on their party’s issues.
“Having being a leading member of the party for many years now, and it shouldn’t be a surprise for anyone that from time to time members of the NWC do have the honour to come to my home and have meetings with me. The issues touching our party, some reservations, issues some of us may have had, we have ironed these out, whatever the problems were.
“It was not just from me abut from a number of other people. I believe we’ve gone quite far in resolving all these issues. But that is a family affair, there are issues in terms of the family of the PDP. And I’m not prepared to go into details about what transpired in our meeting.
“But, what I would tell you is that its an honour for me that not any committee, not a delegation, but the NWC together with every single officer of the NWC were gracious enough to come to my home and speak with me about our party and what the future holds for our country and how we are going to move forward.
“Moreso, I am gladdened by the fact that Alhaji Saminu Turaki, who is a great man, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, also came with that delegation to represent the forum ministers. All these issues have been discussed. A lot of numbers have been looked into and we would see how we move forward from here.”
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