Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has dismissed allegations that he once accused President Bola Tinubu of being behind the killing of a former Lagos governorship aspirant, Funso Williams.
In a post shared on X on Thursday, Fani-Kayode stated that Omoyele Sowore, founder of SaharaReporters, had cited remarks he allegedly made over a decade ago in an attempt to justify himself in an ongoing defamation suit he is facing.
Fani-Kayode explained that Sowore claimed he had previously alleged that Tinubu was responsible for Williams’ murder, which occurred at his Ikoyi residence in July 2006. However, he maintained that he never made such an accusation.
“He (Sowore) claimed that I said that President Tinubu killed Chief Funso Williams. This is false. I never said that President Tinubu killed Funso Williams,” Fani-Kayode said.
He clarified that the statement Sowore referenced was made during the 2015 presidential campaign when he was a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and served as the director of media and publicity for former President Goodluck Jonathan’s campaign team.
According to him, the exact words he used at the time were: “I am not Funso Williams; I cannot be killed like a chicken,” stressing that the remark was never intended to accuse Tinubu of involvement in murder.
Fani-Kayode added that he later withdrew the statement, admitting that it was inappropriate and open to misinterpretation.
“I said those words 11 years ago and I have long since retracted them and accepted the fact that they were not only inappropriate but that they may have also been misconstrued,” he said.
The former minister described Sowore’s attempt to revive the comment as a sign of desperation, insisting that it was wrong to rely on statements made during intense political campaigns that had already been withdrawn.
He noted that political contests are often characterised by harsh rhetoric, pointing out that rival camps exchanged damaging allegations during the 2015 election period.
Fani-Kayode further disclosed that he left the PDP six years ago and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2021, after which he became a strong supporter of Tinubu.
He stated that he played a significant role in Tinubu’s victory during the 2023 presidential election as director of new media and special operations, overseeing a team of about 250 individuals tasked with promoting the president’s candidacy.
Fani-Kayode added that his continued support for Tinubu since the president assumed office demonstrates his confidence in the administration, stressing that he would not maintain such loyalty if he had any reservations.
The former minister also distanced Reno Omokri, a former aide to ex-President Jonathan, from the matter, noting that Omokri had withdrawn his earlier criticisms of Tinubu after the 2023 election and had since backed the president’s policies.
“For Sowore to try to rope me or Reno into his matter to justify his behaviour is absurd,” Fani-Kayode said.
He urged Sowore to withdraw his statements about Tinubu or be ready to face legal action, warning that revisiting past political exchanges would not aid his defence in court.
“I believe Sowore should cultivate that courage & accept that what he said about the President was also wrong & totally unacceptable,” Fani-Kayode said.
“If he refuses to do so he should be ready to prove his case in court or face the consequences of his words & actions.”
Fani-Kayode also praised Tinubu’s leadership style, saying the president has shown willingness to accommodate former political opponents. He added that this, in his view, demonstrates qualities that have encouraged him and others to remain supportive of the administration despite past political disagreements.
