Former Aviation Minister, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode has blasted National Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, over his controversial remark about President-elect Bola Tinubu’s treatment of Igbo people.
Speaking at Michael Okpara Square for a presidential campaign rally in January, Tinubu had urged Southeastern stakeholders to work for his victory in the February 25 presidential election.
Tinubu, who was the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said until his victory was achieved, “We will not give you but a soaked sliced bread.”
Speaking with Vanguard on Monday, Nwodo said Tinubu was already serving the Igbo the promised “soaked bread”.
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His comment came amid the perceived exclusion of Igbos in Tinubu’s 14-man inauguration committee.
Reacting, Fani-Kayode, who served on the APC presidential campaign council, said Nwodo does “not speak for the Igbos but only those amongst them that share your ill-advised and unfortunate mindset”.
“Secondly you will continue to eat the ‘bread soaked in water’ you spoke of as long as you continue to oppose our President-elect and pour scorn on him and our leaders.”
Fani-Kayode added, “I implore you to stop breeding ethnic divisions in our nation by saying that Igbos are being killed in Lagos, which you know is pure falsehood, and suggesting that they will be excluded, targetted and humiliated under a Tinubu Presidency.
“Instead of whining and wailing like a newly-initiated Obidient why not accept defeat in an honorable manner and thereby maintain the respect that many of us that have always looked up to you have for you.
“You need to be far more confident in yourself and your heritage and take a cue about how to conduct yourself from notable Igbo leaders like Chimaroke Nnamani, Orji Uzor Kalu, Hope Uzodinma, David Umahi, Charles Soludo, Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi, Andy Uba, Osita Izunazo, Ikechi Emenike, Uju Kennedy-Ohanenye, Joseph Onoh, Ben Kalu, Chidinma Makuachukwu, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha and so many others.
“Your are far too well-informed, well-bred, well-educated, well-endowed, enlightened, cosmopolitan, intellectually astute and civilised to associate with and support ‘base tikes’ (as William Shakespeare would describe them) and ill-born, ill-bred, roguish creatures and low-level intellectual lilliputians and barbarians like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.”