Former Aviation Minister Femi Fani‑Kayode has once again taken issue with British Deputy High Commissioner to Nigeria, Ben Llewellyn‑Jones, after the envoy criticised comments the former minister made during the recent electioneering in Lagos State. Speaking on a current‑affairs programme on Nigerian Info on Sunday, Llewellyn‑Jones lamented that the ruling APC had not yet distanced itself from Fani‑Kayode’s controversial remarks. In response, Fani‑Kayode tweeted that evening that he would not be intimidated by a “British civil servant”.
On Monday morning, the APC Presidential Campaign Council member escalated the exchange, challenging the British envoy to “do his worst” and declaring that he feared no one. He wrote: “Permit me to add the following addendum to my earlier personal response to the little Englander. I ask, who is this strange little British diplomat who believes he can tell us what Lagos State should be like in terms of ethnic make‑up and how it should be run?” He noted that he had been accused of hate speech and incitement simply for stating that Lagos is not a “no‑man’s land” and that the Yoruba should be respected in their territory. Fani‑Kayode affirmed, “I have no apology for saying this and I stand by every word I said. We do not need any lessons from him. Foreign diplomats come to this country to enhance our relationship with theirs, not to give us lectures. They are not supposed to interfere in our internal affairs, to be partial, to tell us what to do or how to do it. They should observe in studied silence and make any concerns known privately. They cannot get into the political ring of fire.”
He further argued that foreign diplomats should not tell Nigerians whom to vote for, how to vote, or what God to worship. Referring to Llewellyn‑Jones, Fani‑Kayode said, “That strange little bald man with sloping shoulders at the British Embassy has really got a nerve. I will take up this matter formally. His diplomatic immunity is not absolute: it is qualified. He is therefore subject to our laws.” He challenged the envoy’s threats, declaring, “We are not your slaves. Nigeria is an independent sovereign nation. We are no longer a colony. To hell with him and those that are egging him on and licking his feet. I am FFK: I fear no one and I bow before no man.”
Fani‑Kayode also accused the British government of a tainted past, stating that its “strong economy was built on the blood, sweat and tears of Irish, African and Indian slaves.” He insisted that the era of dictation is over, adding that “what they are trying to do in our country will not work. Bola Tinubu won a free and fair election and, whether they like it or not, he will be sworn in on 29 May 2023.” He warned that anyone seeking to impose an ING on Nigeria and spark civil war to dismember the nation would fail, concluding that “Nigeria shall remain united, shall be at peace, shall flourish, shall excel and democracy shall be alive and well in our nation for many years to come.”
The British High Commission had previously announced that UK Minister of State for Development and Africa, Andrew Mitchell MP, was prepared to act against those who engaged in or incited electoral violence during the recent general elections. Llewellyn‑Jones said the UK was already compiling a list of perpetrators and would impose sanctions, including denying UK visas or applying measures under the UK’s human‑rights sanctions regime.
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