While fighting APC, Fani-Kayode holds secret meeting with Jonathan

Mr. Fani-Kayode says he has no plan to dump APC now.
President Goodluck Jonathan and a former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode met behind closed-doors at the Presidential Villa on Tuesday.
The meeting, which was also attended by a man who could not be immediately identified, lasted for about one hour in the president’s office.
Mr. Fani-Kayode, one of Mr. Jonathan fiercest critics, is a member of the All Progressives Congress, Nigeria’s main opposition party.
He was minister in the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo administration. He also served the former president as Special Assistant on Public Affairs.
The former minister left the PDP last year, describing the fold as an evil party.
But last week, Mr. Fani-Kayode suddenly turned against his new party, accusing it, in public statements and opinion articles, of plotting to field a Muslim/Muslim ticket in the 2015 presidential election. The APC is yet to respond to the allegation.
Mr. Fani-Kayode, when confronted by journalists after the meeting, refused to give details of his meeting with the president.
He however said every Nigerian was entitled to visit the Presidential Villa and therefore he was delighted do so.
He said, “This is a Presidential Villa, the President is a President of Nigeria and every single person in this country that is a Nigerian is entitled to come here from time to time, when the doors are open to come and pay their respect to the wonderful people that are here. As a Nigerian, I have done that today and I am delighted to be here.”
The former minister explained that there was nothing unusual about his criticism of the Jonathan administration and that it was important for people to express different views on issues after which they reunite to move the country forward.
He urged Nigerians to visit the president from to time to assist him to develop the country.
Asked to clear the air on his alleged plan to return to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Mr. Fani-Kayode said he would tell Nigerians at the appropriate time whether he would dump the APC or not.
“The step that I will take will be made known to Nigerians at the right time,” he said.
“The most important thing and I think you are fully aware of this is that I cannot and I will not be associated with a situation whereby any group of people is promoting a religion above another.
“I think all of us have gone past the stage of religious politics in this country. We must treat the Muslim community with utmost respect and we must treat the Christian community in the same way and even the non-religious.”
In a telephone interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Tuesday evening, Mr. Fani-Kayode insisted he had no plan to leave the APC now.
But he also declined to disclose details of his meeting with Mr. Jonathan.

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