Linus Aleke, Abuja
The Department of State Services (DSS), has quizzed the former Minister of Aviation, Mr. Femi Fani-kayode, over social media comment on military officers meeting with politicians to disrupt the 2023 general elections.
The military authority has since refuted the allegation, noting that the allegation was mischievous and unfounded.
The Public Relations Officer, Department of State Services (DSS), Dr. Peter Afunanya, in a one paragraph statement said: “Chief Femi Fani-kayode has been with the DSS since 9am today 13/02/23…in response to the invitation extended to him by the Service”.
The Acting Director, Defence Information, (DDI), Brigadier General Tukur Gusau, had on Saturday, warned that those who engage in fabricating and spreading unfounded misinformation will be invited by the appropriate law enforcement agencies to substantiate their claims.
General Gusau in a statement said: “The Armed Forces of Nigeria notes with dismay the story being peddled around by some unscrupulous elements alleging that some military officers met with a Presidential candidate with the aim of disrupting the general elections and setting the country on fire. The wicked and very malicious propaganda indicated that a so-called thursday meeting is plotting a Coup d’etat to establish unconstitutional order”.
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He said that it is disheartened that even politically exposed persons can denigrate themselves into joining agents of destabilisation and violence in making false claims just to heighten tension in the polity.
The Military High Command also, said that it will never be part of any ignoble plot to truncate Nigeria’s hard-earned democracy.
The rebuttal by the military authority followed media report that some military officers met with a Presidential candidate with the aim of disrupting the general elections and setting the country on fire.
The trending report further noted that the meeting with the presidential candidate was plotting a Coup d’etat to establish unconstitutional order”.
Earlier, the Presidential Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has called on the Department of State Services (DSS), the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to invite the Director of Special Projects and New media of the Tinubu/Shettima presidential campaign Council, Femi Fani-Kayode, to explain his allegations and insinuations of an attempted coup he claimed was being planned by Atiku and top generals.
Special Assistant, Public Communications to Atiku, Mr Phrank Shaibu, said this in a statement on Sunday in reaction to a tweet by Fani-Kayode that Atiku met with top army generals with a possible plan to scuttle the election or perpetrating a coup, an offence which attracts the death penalty.
Shaibu said, “Ordinarily, we wouldn’t have bothered responding to Fani-Kayode who has over the years built a reputation of being an inveterate liar so much so that he was even publicly blacklisted by the Nigeria Union of Journalists after his disgraceful outburst at a journalist.”