Shaibu said if Fani-Kayode failed to tender a public apology for criminally defaming Atiku, he may need to offer explanation in the court of law.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, has threatened to file a case of defamation before a court if the former minister of aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, does not apologise for his coup allegation.
Fani-Kayode, who is the Director of Special Projects and New media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, had alleged that Atiku met with army generals with the aim of executing a coup against the democratically elected government of President Muhammadu Buhari.
Following the allegation, the Department of State Services interrogated Fani-Kayode. The former minister said after the interrogation that he regretted his statement.
In a statement, however, on Tuesday, Atiku said through his Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, that Fani-Kayode ought to apologise to him and the military.
He said that Fani-Kayode’s regret was not enough without a public apology.
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“Fani-Kayode’s regret is a step in the right direction, but this is not sufficient. Who exactly is he apologising to? He needs to be specific.
“He needs to apologise to Abubakar for trying to impugn his character. He also needs to apologise to the military for denigrating that revered institution.
“Fani-Kayode is a former minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with over two million followers across social media platforms.
“He is a lawyer and ought to understand the implication of libel. Apart from the criminal aspect of his tweets, he has also committed defamation and thus must be made to apologise for his inane insinuations,” the statement said.
Shaibu demanded that the public apology should be published in three newspapers, including The Nation and their online editions for seven days consecutively beginning from February 15.
Shaibu said if Fani-Kayode failed to tender a public apology for criminally defaming Atiku, he may need to offer explanation in the court of law.
“There should be a fine line between political propaganda and crime. When a person in the calibre of a former minister is unable to differentiate between the two, it becomes worrisome.
“His allegation of a planned coup should not be taken lightly. Such juvenile drivel must not be tolerated, not even in the name of politics,” Shaibu added.
