by Kolapo Olapoju

The Director of Media and Publicity of the Peoples Democratic Party Presidential Campaign Organisation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has reacted to the recent comments of Festus Keyamo, who stated that the former minister was not qualified to be in the President Jonathan Goodluck’s campaign team because of his lingering court case.

Keyamo, who is the prosecutor in the case, had on Monday, said that by appointing Fani-Kayode, President Jonathan had shown that he was not interested in fighting corruption.

Fani-Kayode reacted to the comments on Monday, January 19, in Abuja, via a statement signed by his Special Assistant on Media, Sufuyan Ojeifo.

In the statement, Fani-Kayode said he was waiting for the next court date to clear himself of the charges.

The release said: “They initially claimed that he (Fani-Kayode) stole N19.5bn of the Aviation Intervention Fund but this was thrown out by the courts for want of evidence. After that, in 2008, Keyamo filed a bogus 47-count money laundering on behalf of the Farida Waziri-led EFCC in which he claimed that Chief Fani-Kayode had laundered N200m.”

“In 2014, he reduced it to a 40-count charge and reduced the amount that was allegedly laundered from N200m to N99m. Earlier this year, 38 of those 40 counts, which collectively represented N97m, were thrown out by the court for want of evidence.”

“The remaining two counts, which represent N1m each, will be defended on February 23rd and 24th. Chief Fani-Kayode looks forward to that date because he is innocent and he has every confidence in God and the Nigerian judiciary.”

Kolapo Olapoju