Politics
Fani-Kayode hits Lamido: ‘Only those who subscribe to ‘Fulanisation’ agenda will criticize Obasanjo’

...says it’s a tragedy Nigeria is going this way
Former Aviation Minister, Femi Fani-Kayode, has hit back at former Governor of Jigawa State, Sule Lamido who criticised ex-president Olusegun Obasanjo for warning that Fulani herdsmen and Boko Haram were out to ‘Fulanise’ Nigeria and Islamise Africa.
Obasanjo had on Saturday in Delta state, lamented the murderous activities of Boko Haram and herdsmen in the country, saying the challenges had grown beyond what Nigeria alone could tackle.
“It is no longer an issue of a lack of education and employment for our youths in Nigeria, which it began as; it is now West African ‘Fulanisation,’ African Islamisation and global organised crimes of human trafficking, money laundering, drug trafficking, gun trafficking, illegal mining and regime change,” Obasanjo had said.
Lamido who did not take kindly to the statement, on Sunday, advised Obasanjo against transforming himself into “a religious and ethnic bigot” because of his disappointment with the President Muhammadu Buhari administration.
He called on Obasanjo to withdraw the statement.
“If it were said at a non-religious venue to a non-religious audience, maybe it might have been more tolerable. Please, sir, don’t let your disappointment with sitting president turn you into a bigot,” Lamido said in a statement by his media aide, Mansur Ahmad.
“You must not abandon the national stage. The cracks along the various divides in our national cohesion are already turning into huge gorges.”
However, Fani-Kayode, in a counter statement on Sunday, said Obasanjo had done more for the core North, “including Lamido’s Fulani tribe” than any other president in the country.
Fani-Kayode said Obasanjo remained the only politically active Southern or Middle Belt leader that understands what is really going on, the grave danger that Nigerians are in and what lies ahead.
“I hear one or two people, like Sule Lamido, are not too happy with what OBJ said and have called him out for saying it. That is sad and unfortunate because Obasanjo has done more for the core North, Lamido’s Fulani tribe and Nigerian unity than any other former president or head of state in our history.
“He also fought in a civil war to keep the country together. For anybody from the core North to call him names for speaking the truth and baring his mind over what is unfolding in Nigeria today, it tells you how blinded by power, insensitive and callous some of these people are.
“It is only those that subscribe to the Fulanisation and Islamisation agenda that will criticise or oppose Obasanjo’s observation and describe him as a ‘bigot’ for making them.”
The former minister encouraged Obasanjo to speak more about Boko Haram, killer herdsmen and alleged plot to Islamise Nigeria.
“Obasanjo is deeply courageous and his latest contribution that there is an agenda to Fulanise West Africa and Islamise Africa says it all.
“Obasanjo needs say no more. History and posterity will be kind to him for speaking the bitter truth and saying what almost every other southern and Middle Belt politician and leader knows to be true but is too timid and too scared to say publicly.
“With his latest contribution he has vindicated yours truly and many others. I saw this coming in late 2013 and I told the world. Nnamdi Kanu saw it coming in 2014 and he told the world. Asari Dokubo saw it in 2015 and he told the world.
“Afenifere, OPC, YOLICOM, PANDEM, MEND, the Middle Belt Forum, the Niger Delta Avengers, IPOB, MASSOB and Ohaeneze saw it in 2017 and they told the world. The Christian Elders Forum, CAN and the Church saw it in 2018 and they told the world.
“Sadly the world refused to listen, left us on our own and, instead of rising to the occassion and confronting the evil, Nigerians went on bended knee to the powers that be and acted as if they were not saddled with a major problem that was bound to eventually consumme them all. Now they know better even though most of them are still in denial.
“Now they must live with the consequences of their indifference, ignorance, cowardice and stoicism. What a pity.
“It is a tragedy of monumental proportions that a nation that is so blessed with extraordinary human and mineral resources should end up going this way.
“I hear one or two people like Sule Lamido are not too happy with what OBJ said and have called him out for saying it. That is sad and unfortunate because Obasanjo has done more for the core north, Lamido’s Fulani tribe and Nigerian unity than any other former President or Head of State in our history. He also fought in a civil war to keep the country together.
“For anybody from the core north to call him names for speaking the truth and baring his mind over what is unfolding in Nigeria today tells you how blinded by power, insensitive and callous some of these people are.”