The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has criticised the Tinubu‑Shettima presidential campaign council for defending Femi Fani‑Kayode, the director of special projects and new media for the campaign. Fani‑Kayode was interrogated by the Department of State Services (DSS) on Monday and Wednesday after posting on social media that Atiku Abubakar and several army generals were plotting a coup. He later expressed regret for the comment. While under DSS questioning, Fani‑Kayode was also summoned by the Nigeria Police Force on a similar matter, prompting the Tinubu campaign to issue a statement to the police.
Phrank Shaibu, special assistant for public communications to PDP presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar, praised the police for expanding the investigation. In a Wednesday statement, Shaibu urged the police not to be intimidated by the Tinubu campaign, arguing that Fani‑Kayode’s allegations were too serious to ignore. “We commend the police for widening the scope of the investigation by inviting Fani‑Kayode over claims that army generals met with Atiku to topple a democratically elected government,” he said. Shaibu added that Fani‑Kayode was not acting alone, noting that the defence presented by Bayo Onanuga on behalf of the Tinubu campaign indicated other members possessed information about the alleged coup. “All members of Tinubu’s campaign should be invited so they can shed more light on the matter,” he asserted.
Shaibu urged the police to leave no stone unturned, stressing that Fani‑Kayode should not be treated as a “sacred cow” simply because he belongs to the ruling All Progressives Congress. He called for a thorough grilling of Fani‑Kayode and, if he cannot produce the names of the purported coup plotters, for his prosecution. “Fani‑Kayode should not just receive a slap on the wrist; he should be prosecuted if he cannot name the coup plotters,” Shaibu said.
Shaibu recalled that on 7 July 2022, Fani‑Kayode similarly accused soldiers of involvement in the Abuja‑Kaduna train attack and the Kuje prison raid, which released hundreds of terrorists. To date, he has refused to reveal the identities of those soldiers. “These allegations are too weighty to be ignored. The police and the DSS must dig deeper for the sake of national security,” he concluded.
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