OPINION…Naija 2023: A Game For ‘Big Boys’?

Last weekend, the Director of Special Media Projects and Operations and New Media for the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, was in his very best vitriolic caustic element lambasting the Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and his ‘Obi-dient’ supporters. Fani-Kayode was irked apparently when Obi declared that he would only respond to comments about him made directly by his opponents and not their spokespersons or aides. In a series of tweets on his Twitter page he had provocatively attacked Obi and ‘Obi-dients’, saying they could only secure the 4th position in the 2023 presidential election.

Describing Peter Obi as a “mannerless, charlatan and a modern-day walking disaster”, Fani-Kayode sought to do damage to Obi’s towering image and character. Like Asari Dokubo, the retired Niger Delta warlord based in Cotonou, FFK is now determined to bring Obi down, marshaling flowery prose and verbosity. Why and how they decided to engage in these viciousness are generally known.

It is the first time in the Nigerian tortured democratic evolution and history that a credible Igboman is up against history, one he is resolutely determined to conquer. No better candidate exists anywhere in Biafraland hence this combined assault to cast aspersions on him.

Indeed, it was a vicious put-down, deliberate and well-calculated, aimed primarily at drawing applause or approval from his pay-masters in Bourdillon or Aso Villa. But unknown to FFK he failed to deliver a knock-out blow to Obi and his ‘Obi-dient’ movement. No one would succeed in destroying Obi or what he stands for! Perhaps, it is only in Nigeria where a crook of a politician once or twice docked for economic crimes against his motherland could grandstand, talking trash to a great man never before arrested nor charged with any crime.

FFK had abused the trust reposed in him when as a Minister of the Federal Republic he had engaged in embezzlement of funds put in his care. He had abused power by such egregious self-aggrandisement schemes. Today, he is desperately looking for another opportunity to replenish his dwindling fortunes, bank accounts et al.

Ordinarily, Femi Fani-Kayode (FFK), is no longer taken seriously in Nigeria by sane minds. Or how else does a sound mind tolerate the antics and criminalities of a shameful politician of fortune whose pastime is blackmail, slavish services and ‘stomach infrastructure’ adventures? Politicians in Nigeria (majority of them of course) lack good morals or scruples but in FFK another dangerous deviant specie is found out, one high on cocaine and alcohol!

What do you make of a political prostitute who jumps from one political bed (party) to another in desperate search of relevance and/or free meal tickets? How do you tolerate or accommodate a serial wife-beater and philanderer whose inability to manage his homefront is legendary? How can you understand the insane rantings and ramblings of a buffoon imbued with no principles or ideologies in life?

Femi Fani-Kayode reminds one of what is possible in the life of an adult whose fortunes and ambitions betray the very essence of parental craving for academic excellence of their children especially those trained abroad at huge costs. Alas, Fani-Kayode the father must have regretted sending FFK abroad for higher education having realised the ‘mess’ he had made of it all.

Here is a man who is worse than a dog that goes back to its vomits. Here is a glorified rehabilitated hard drug addict who assaulted women with little or no provocation at home. Here is a big fool working only for his interests and stomach at the detriment of the national interests or good.

Here is a man who has never contested or won any elective position in his entire life only content being used by those ambitious enough to seek elective posts to do dirty jobs. Fani-Kayode knows he is worth nothing in electoral value hence his decision to join them. His political obituary will be announced early next year when Atiku or Obi (and not Tinubu) wins the presidential poll!

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FFK’s recent tirade, diatribe online directed at the charismatic Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, could be likened to an underwhelming individual refusing to appreciate the greatness and service of those infinitely greater than him in all spheres of life. But his frustration is understandable. Understandable in the sense that he has a lot to chew over at the home front in terms of challenges.

Peter Obi does not have issues with his wife of many years, the one and only woman who gave birth to his children. Femi had tried his marital hands on three and failed to impress each and everyone of them. Obi is never linked to any drug consumption or rehabilitation. Femi is a victim!

Obi may have decamped from APGA, through whose platform he was elected and re-elected Governor of Anambra State for eight eventful years, to the PDP. And lately from the opposition PDP to the Labour Party. But in each cross-carpeting higher interests of the nation and service to humanity preceded any individual considerations.

Fani-Kayode demystified himself when he left the PDP for the misruling APC party ostensibly to feather his political nest or worse still, forestall his further trial for graft by the EFCC. After calling the APC unprintable names it is instructive to note how low FFK had fallen in his quest for political rehabilitation.

Femi Fani-Kayode has been running mad since he became an emergency politician and his family had left him in that condition because of title. For a morsel of bread he is blinded from the truth and spews mendacity for the right price. A political contractor his recent unprovoked attacks against Obi’s personality could be linked to a well-defined job rule.

If you do not know FFK better then ask Baba OBJ for a brief summary of this buffoon incapable of handling simple domestic tasks like every responsible father would. He can sing your praise all day long as long as the goodies keep tumbling down from the executive table!

‘Obi-dients’ are engaged because they are enraged given the glaring failures of the system. A man with outstanding domestic issues and litigations to sort out cannot be allowed to dictate the pace or tune of a presidential campaign. It is beyond him!

However, in the final analysis we agree with FFK that the next year’s presidential poll, Naija 2023, is for ‘big boys’. And, therefore, not for old and tired men among us. ‘Big boys’, of course, who can work round the clock to pull Nigeria from the brink Buhari and his Fulani gang have plunged it. ‘Big boys’ who cannot flee abroad for medical tourism. ‘Big boys’ whose academic and professional credentials are not in any doubt. ‘Big boys’ who have never faced allegations or accusations of corruption.

Asiwaju Tinubu, FFK’s principal, in our reckoning, does not fit that description! Let him go home to manage his old age and declining health instead of reminding us about the collective electoral mistake we made by throwing Buhari up seven years ago.

That terrible electoral mistake must be corrected come February next year.

AUTHOR: Ozodinukwe Okenwa

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Articles published in our Graffiti section are strictly the opinion of the writers and do not represent the views of Ripples Nigeria or its editorial stand.

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