Following the outcome of the 2023 general elections, the United Kingdom has stated that ten people are on its watchlist.
Ben Llewellyn-Jones, the British deputy high commissioner in Nigeria, stated this in response to controversial remarks made by Femi Fani-Kayode, a former minister of aviation and All Progressives Congress chieftain (APC).
Fani-Kayode was accused to have used derogatory, divisive, and inciting language against the opposition in a series of tweets.
“The single greatest lesson that the 2023 presidential election has taught us is that God will NEVER allow a practising sodomite and his repugnant retinue of perverts, pimps, fraudsters, court jesters, degenerates, monkeys, slaves and malefactors to lead Nigeria,” the former minister had tweeted.
In another tweet, the APC chieftain said; “What @PeterObi, @atiku & their thugs did to the CJN is despicable.They lied on him, defamed him, rubbished his reputation & sought to humiliate, blackmail, undermine, destroy & disgrace him out of office. These savages & barbarians seek to destroy all our revered institutions.”
“As a consequence of the events of the last few days I am constrained to say that, like a rabid and mad dog that is foaming at the mouth, the Nigerian opposition, represented by the followers of Atiku Abubakar (Atikulators) and the followers of…,” he posited in a separate tweet.
Reacting, the UK envoy said he was puzzled as to why Fani-Kayode would make such statements, adding that the APC should have distanced itself from the former minister’s utterances.
“Yes, let’s be specific, there were some people, like Femi Fani-Kayode, what is he saying and why is he saying it? I don’t understand,” Llewellyn-Jones told Nigeria Info FM on Sunday.
“It is wrong from my perspective that he will speak on behalf of a party and that party does not distance itself from him and say stop doing that. It is wrong to say that.
“To me, it is really important, people who have said I am part of a party’s press and media campaign, well, the party itself should say no you are not, and you should stop and we do not agree. I know that some leaders very clearly said we are about unity, and that is good, I encourage that.