Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani‑Kayode admitted on Monday that he was wrong for failing to verify his controversial claim with the relevant authorities before going public. The Director of Special Projects and New Media for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council had been summoned by the Department of State Services (DSS) over a series of tweets he posted on Saturday. In those tweets, he alleged that high‑ranking military officers had met with the Peoples Democratic Party presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, with the intention of staging a coup.
After leaving the DSS headquarters in Abuja, a sober‑looking Fani‑Kayode told journalists that he could have been more circumspect and handled the matter differently. He acknowledged that DSS operatives grilled him for five hours, noting that they were clearly prepared for his interview. Nevertheless, he said he was reassured by the fact that he had nothing to hide. The security agency asked him to report back on Wednesday and then every two weeks until the investigation is concluded. “It is now up to them to decide whether they will pursue charges or determine that I have done nothing wrong,” he said.
Fani‑Kayode reflected that some of his statements were regrettable. “When news emerges about a meeting with army officers, one should not simply believe and accept it, even if it appears true,” he explained. He suggested an alternative approach: “I could have asked the authorities privately, tried to find out before saying anything at all.” He conceded that greater caution was needed, especially because the source he cited was faceless and unreliable. “When I post on Twitter, the whole world listens, and my comments caused shockwaves and hurt many people. That outcome is regrettable, and I am always the first to admit when things go wrong.”
He emphasized that his intention was clear: to prompt the authorities to investigate the allegation about Atiku. “They responded the following day, and that is where the anxiety arose—perhaps we could have handled it differently,” he said. Fani‑Kayode expressed absolute confidence in the impartiality of the DSS and reiterated that he has nothing to hide. He noted that, over the past 15 years, he has been interrogated by various security agencies, including the police and EFCC, and has even been incarcerated. “The place nobody really wants to go is probably the DSS. It’s a very challenging place to be taken,” he concluded.
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