‘If you like, drop dead’ – Fani-Kayode replies critics of his association with Pantami

‘If you like, drop dead’ – Fani-Kayode replies critics of his association with Pantami

Saturday, August 21, 2021 9:02 pm


Femi Fani Kayode and Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in Kano

Femi Fani Kayode and Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy in Kano

Former Minister of Aviation and social critic, Femi Fani Kayode on Saturday pushed back against those who have been criticizing his association with Isa Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.

“If you like drop dead. I offer no apology or explanation and I need no validation from you. You either trust my judgement or you do not and either way I do not care,” the former Minister said in a post on his Facebook page.

Fani-Kayode who has been in Kano since Thursday to attend the wedding ceremony of President Muhammadu Buhari’s son to the daughter of Emir of Bichi Emirate had been sharing his pictures with that of state governors and other personalities at the event.

He had also shared his pictures with Pantami who has come under criticism of a section of the Nigerian media after an audio recording in which he professed love for the Taliban became public some months ago.

Though Pantami said he recorded the audio when he was younger, a section of Nigerians had continue to accuse the Minister of engagement in Islamic fundamentalism.

Thus, Fani-Kayode, who usually put out himself as a born again Christian had come under severe criticism over the picture in which he was seen shaking hands with Pantami. But the Minister said he could not be bothered by such criticisms.

He also accused his critics of hypocrisy as he noted that were other politicians and government officials at the function who were shown discussing with persons that many would ordinarily regard as their political opposition.

Read Fani-Kayode’s full post below

Are you still foaming at the mouth because I shook hands with Isa Pantami? Keep foaming and let your blood pressure go higher.

If you like drop dead. I offer no apology or explanation and I need no validation from you. You either trust my judgement or you do not and either way I do not care.

You see my faith teaches me to forgive those that express regrets about their past actions and utterances and to be at peace with as many people as possible.

It also teaches me to shake a hand when it is extended to me in friendship.

The bottom line is as follows: you can do and say your worse. You can vent until you wee in your pants. You can wail until you defecate in your trousers. You can scream and shout from morning till night.

You can run up and down like a weather beaten and rain soaked chicken whose head has been cut off until you collapse.

You can do all these things simply because I took a picture with a fellow Nigerian and called him my friend and brother.

It does not move me and it changes nothing: though we may not agree on everything, Isa and I are now friends and we will remain friends. Live with it or die with it.

If most of you had 10% of my courage and foresight Nigeria would be a far better place. History will vindicate me and posterity will judge us all.

You do not know what I know and you do not see what I see. You assume the worse because you are the worse.

Whatever you choose to say or do I don’t care. All I know is that I will never prostitute my principles or compromise my stance on fundamental issues and I will disagree with those that I choose to disagree with but I will never be driven by hate or be deaf, dumb and blind to reason.

And unlike most of you I can never be a coward. I have the courage to be civil and to be civilised to those that offer me respect and friendship even if we do not agree on all things. The question is do you?

You didn’t see Buba Galadima hugging Ahmad Lawal. You did not see GEJ shaking hands with PMB. You did not see Atiku shaking hands with PMB.

You did not see GEJ shaking hands with Osinbajo. The only thing you saw was FFK shaking hands with Isa Pantami!

Who do you like this???


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