Friday Olokor, Jos
A former Minister of Information and Culture, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, on Thursday, faulted claims by the Founder of Latter Rain Assembly, Pastor Tunde Bakare, saying the comparison of President Muhammadu Buhari with the biblical King David was a “grave error.”
He also advised the acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo (SAN), to manage the agitation by the Indigenous People of Biafra, led by Nnamdi Kanu “very carefully and stop trying to please or cow-tow to the cabal that have encircled him.”
According to him, Osinbajo cannot bring Nigeria together with violence or threats of violence, but can only keep the country united by constant expression of love and regular repetition of regrets for past actions and injustices.
Fani-Kayode in a statement he emailed to THE PUNCH in Jos, wondered why Bakare would compare Buhari with King David.
He said, “I have the greatest respect for Pastor Tunde Bakare and he knows how much I love him. However, he is in grave error when he compared Buhari to King David as has been reported.
“David was an anointed servant of the living God and a member of the Kingdom of light. Buhari is not, but like Pharaoh and Herod…Buhari has been rejected by the Lord and he is suffering the judgement of God for his injustice and wickedness to others.
“As fawning and weak as Osinbajo is, as a Southerner and a believer, he needs our support and encouragement and not subtle condemnations and discouraging words from his fellow Pastors.”
The ex-Minister expressed surprise that the Presidency had threatened to deal with IPOB members who, he said, were making a legitimate demand.
“A man called Nnamdi Kanu and his movement called IPOB single-handedly brought the whole of the South-East of our country to a standstill with his one day stay at home order. Yet, someone in the Presidency says they don’t consider him to be a leader of thought? Clearly, the Villa curse has set in.
“Delusion is a terrible affliction and treating those that have won the hearts and minds of millions of Igbo youth in our country with contempt and disdain will prove to be a costly mistake for the Buhari administration”, he said.
He advised those in power to live with the new reality and “pray hard that these young men and women have a change of heart.”
Fani-Kayode said, “Other than that, they cannot stop Biafra and, when the time comes, neither will they be in a position to stop Oduduwa. Finally, this point has to be made. It is a mistake to equate the lawful and legitimate aspiration and agitation for Biafra with the unlawful and illegitimate quit notice and threat given to the Igbo people to leave the north by the Arewa youths.
“I strongly advise the acting president to manage this matter very carefully and to stop trying to please or cow-tow to the cabal that have encircled him. Osinbajo ought to know that even if he jails and kills every Biafran in the country others will rise up and carry on the fight. He cannot successfully intimidate or threaten a growing movement and philosophy with words and threats. Matters have gone far beyond that now.”
