Headlines
DSS Invites Fani-Kayode for Alleging Coup Plot
The Department of State Services has invited a spokesperson for the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, over allegations of a coup plot ahead of the February election.
Fani-Kayode, a former minister under the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, and Director of Special Projects and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, confirmed the invitation in a statement on Monday.
He added that he would honour the invitation.
The news made the rounds last week that Fani-Kayode, in a tweet, alleged that some top army personnel met with some politicians, including the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, in a bid to scuttle the February 25 general election.
He added that the meeting might be part of an agenda to provoke a coup and establish a new and unconstitutional order in the country.
But, in a statement on Saturday, February 12, 2023, the Acting Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Tukur Gusau, advised Nigerians to disregard Fani-Kayode’s tweets, stressing the Armed Forces’ loyalty to the constitution.
Gusau also expressed dismay that even politically exposed persons had denigrated themselves by joining agents of destabilisation.
He said: “It needs to be stated that the Armed Forces of Nigeria is a professional military that is loyal to the Constitution of the Federal Republic and will never be part of any evil plot against our democracy. Besides, the military remains apolitical and neutral in the current political process and will not engage in the alleged shenanigans.
“The Armed Forces of Nigeria will never be part of any ignoble plot to truncate our hard-earned democracy.”
In his reaction, Atiku, in a statement by his Special Assistant, Public Communications, Mr Phrank Shaibu, asked the DSS and other security agencies to invite Fani-Kayode to explain his insinuations of a coup d’etat by top army generals and himself.
He wrote, “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered responding to Fani-Kayode who has over the years built a reputation of being an inveterate liar so much so that he was even publicly blacklisted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists after his disgraceful outburst at a journalist.
“However, allegations and insinuations of a coup should not be taken lightly given the fact that it is treason, an offence that carries the death penalty.
“While commending the Nigerian military for effectively rubbishing Fani-Kayode’s barefaced lie, we call on security agencies to invite him to shed more light on the allegations.”
Meanwhile, following the statement by the Defence Headquarters through Gusau, the former minister, in a tweet commended the army for clearing the air on the alleged meeting between army officials and Atiku.
He wrote, “Happy that the newspaper report I referred to has proved to be FALSE. As I said, “if true”, it would have been troubling. I commend the Military for their commitment to democracy.
“The fact that they can respond so quickly when we raise concerns is encouraging and proves that they are not only responsive and responsible but that we are also on the same page when it comes to civic duties, the rule of law, civilian rule, an open society and democracy.”
He also denied accusing the military of planning to scuttle the election and provoke a coup plot, insisting he had only raised “questions about some rogue officers who, according to media reports, allegedly met with Atiku.”
He added, “Thankfully, those reports have been debunked and proved to be unfounded. There is no gain saying that I have implicit confidence in the military and its High Command as an institution and I trust in their commitment to democracy which has been confirmed and proved over the last 24 years since the return of civilian rule in 1999. I would encourage them to continue to be watchful and alert and to continue their good work by supporting, protecting, and sustaining our democracy.”
But Atiku’s spokesman, Shuaib, rejected Fani-Kayode’s attempt at a recant, describing it as belated.
The Punch
US President, Donald Trump, has ordered the Pentagon – headquarters of the United States Department of Defense – to prioritize the protection of Christians targeted by ISIS terrorists in Nigeria.
U.S. Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, disclosed this on Wednesday while stressing that the mission has quietly led to the killing of ISIS’ second-in-command in Nigeria.
Speaking during a cabinet meeting chaired by President Trump at the White House, Hegseth said:
“To give you a sense of how committed this president is (referring to President Trump), maybe, a year ago, he heard the call of Nigerian Christians who are being targeted and killed by ISIS in Nigeria.
“He said, Pete, I want the war department to focus on ensuring that we do whatever we can to protect those Christians”.
He further said: “Partnerships like that can take some time behind the scenes, but he never wavered on it. We got the assets there over the last month. There has not been much coverage of this”.
He added that U.S. intelligence gathered during the operation helped lead to the deaths of “hundreds” of ISIS fighters tied to attacks on Christians and threats against the U.S. homeland.
“We killed ISIS’ number two in Nigeria, who is most responsible for killing Christians and trying to target U.S. homeland.
“There’s a lot of things we do that the media pays attention to, and a lot of things that the president empowers the Department to do on behalf of the American people, that he deserves great credit for,” Hegseth concluded.
Controversial social media activist, Martins Vincent Otse aka VeryDarkMan (VDM), has reacted strongly to allegations surrounding the circulation of an alleged audio involving President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
VDM spoke in a lengthy video posted on social media after comments credited to presidential spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, accused him of disseminating a fake audio related to the President.
In the video, VDM claimed he began receiving several calls warning him not to return to Nigeria following the controversy surrounding the audio clip.
According to him, some associates advised him to remain abroad over fears that he could be arrested upon his return to the country.
Reacting to the development, VDM denied any wrongdoing and insisted that he had the constitutional right to criticise the government and comment on national issues.
He accused government officials of paying more attention to critics on social media instead of addressing pressing security challenges confronting the country.
The activist also criticised the Federal government over insecurity, kidnappings and economic hardship, arguing that Nigerians were facing difficult living conditions across the country.
VDM further alleged that some individuals were attempting to create a narrative to justify possible actions against him because of his criticism of the administration.
He maintained that he would continue speaking on issues affecting Nigerians, particularly insecurity and governance.
During the emotional video, the social commentator repeatedly questioned why government officials were allegedly more vocal about online controversies than incidents of bandit attacks and kidnappings.
He also urged Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 general elections, insisting that citizens must make decisions based on the performance of political leaders.
The controversy followed comments attributed to Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, who reportedly stated that VDM should “face the weight of the law” over the alleged circulation of fake audio involving the President.
As of the time of filing this report, there was no official confirmation from security agencies regarding any planned action against the activist.
By Eric Elezuo
Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has been declared winner of the presidential primary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The declaration was made at the Trascorp Hilton Hotel, where the final collation of results was made.
The former Vice President polled a total of 1, 846, 370 votes to defeat his closest rival, former Governor of Rivers State, Hon Rotimi Amaechi, who scored just over 500 thousand votes. Alhaji Muhammed Hayatu-Deen came third.
