By Our Correspondent
Veteran journalist and politician Dele Momodu has urged President Bola Tinubu to reconsider the readiness of Femi Fani-Kayode for diplomatic service, describing the newly appointed Ambassador-designate to Germany as an “incurable thug” in need of urgent rehabilitation.
In an open letter released on Thursday, Momodu expressed concern over Fani-Kayode’s temperament, questioning whether he is fit to represent Nigeria on the international stage.
“I knew Chief Babaremilekun Adetokunbo Fani-Kayode, Q.C, SAN, of blessed memory, the father of David Oluwafemi Adewunmi Abdulateef Fani-Kayode aka FFK, in Ile-Ife, long before I met his querulous, garrulous and cantankerous son,” Momodu wrote.
He described the younger Fani-Kayode as “a classic case of a wasted investment,” noting that despite attending some of the best schools pedigree and money could purchase, including Cambridge University, he turned out to be “an outright and incurable thug.”
“All supplication and intercession by friends and family on his behalf have failed to cure his strange malady.
“And this is the man President Bola Tinubu is about to unleash on Germany as an Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, for God’s sake”, Momodu added.
Momodu revealed that he and Fani-Kayode had discussed the ambassador-designate’s political aspirations on several occasions. He said he encouraged him to be patient and prayerful and witnessed his frustration and depression when an appointment seemed unlikely.
According to Momodu, Fani-Kayode was already working on a “Plan B” and had begged a few associates to help him reach out to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar should his hopes of an appointment under Tinubu fade.
“Femi without power is like fish out of water. It is such a pity that now that Tinubu has finally looked at his side, with mercy and compassion, he is still busy fighting, like a pig, instead of seeking urgent rehabilitation into the comity of sane human beings”, Momodu stated.
The open letter comes just one day after Fani-Kayode launched a blistering attack on Momodu over comments the latter made during a Channels Television interview.
During that interview on Sunday, Momodu had described Tinubu as a potential dictator and claimed some people have compared his administration unfavourably to the military regime of the late General Sani Abacha.
“From what happened since 1999 when he became governor to 2007 when he left as governor of Lagos State, and then hijacked Lagos, since then till today, it was very clear to me that I didn’t need a prophet to tell me that we are dealing with a potential dictator if given the presidential ticket,” Momodu had said. “Today, I don’t know how anybody would even describe this. Some people have even described this moment as being worse than that of Abacha government.”
In response on Monday, Fani-Kayode took to his X handle to dismiss Momodu’s remarks as evidence of “a degenerating and worrisome level of cognitive dissonance.”
“I love Dele and God knows I have immense respect for him but he sounded drained, tired and broken and spoke little sense yesterday in his interview with Seun Okinbaloye of Channels TV,” Fani-Kayode wrote. “May I humbly suggest to him to try and take a break from politics and political commentary for a while, get his breath back and attempt to overhaul his intellectual engine.”
Fani-Kayode also launched a fierce attack on Momodu’s party, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as incapable of serious political competition.
“The ADC cannot even be described as a sinking ship but rather as a badly patched up inflatable plastic life boat that has not even managed to find its bearing or leave the harbour. It has no engine, no sails, no oars, no captain, no crew, no navigational equipment, no muscle, no firepower, no war chest, no destination,” he said.
He described the party’s membership as “vacuous, shallow, intellectual frauds and political renegades who lack foresight and who have no direction.”
Despite the harsh criticism, Fani-Kayode appealed to Momodu to abandon the ADC and join the ruling party, comparing his presence in the opposition to “a gentle, beautiful, well bred, well fed and well manicured flamingo trapped in a sea of ugly, cruel, loud, angry, starving, cackling and relentless crows and vultures.”
“I appeal to my brother Dele: leave the ranks of the forces of darkness and join us. You are far too good for the company you keep,” he concluded.
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