Fani-Kayode

Femi FaniKayode’s Loyalty

Femi Fani-Kayode, a lawyer and former Minister of Aviation, means different things to different people.

While some appreciate his brilliance and outspokenness, some others see him simply as controversial.

However, what you cannot take away from him is his loyalty; he respects the sanctity of friendship and never takes friendship for granted.

Penultimate week, he demonstrated his sense of loyalty when his friend and former governor of Ekiti State, Ayodele Fayose, was arraigned by the anti-graft agency, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

He had a ready answer for inquisitive minds and news hounds who sought to know why he was again at the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, having previously accompanied Fayose to the Abuja office of the EFCC, where he had gone to honour an invitation for interrogation over some alleged fraud charges.

In response, he was quoted as saying, “I believe in the virtues of courage, loyalty and faith in God. I believe in loyalty to country, family, friends and political party. I am a patriot and I believe in loyalty to Nigeria. I also believe in the unity of Nigeria. I believe in loyalty to friends, through thick and thin. Fayose is my friend and that is why I am here.

“He stood with me during my travails and I am constrained to stand with him during his. I am not a fair-weather friend: I am a real friend and I will always stand with the persecuted, the cheated, the marginalized, the voiceless and the oppressed. Fayose is being persecuted like so many other leaders in the PDP and that is why I am here: to stand firm and show solidarity with him.”

Though many argue that his action was just another political stunt, a source close to the smoothtalking politician revealed that one thing you can’t away from him is his love for his friends.

The source took Society Watch on a memory lane when Fayose had stood with Fani-Kayode when he was going through same travails in the hands of the EFCC.

’ Fayose was there for him during his travails, so he has to show his gratitude. Apart from Governor Wike of Rivers State, Fani-Kayode and a handful of others, no one was there for the ex-governor. So, nothing to sneer at for standing with someone’s friend. It is just to show appreciation for what Fayose has done for him in the past, ’’ the source added.