Former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, has said that both he and former presidential aide Reno Omokri have long retracted previous harsh criticisms made against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, dismissing attempts to link them to a defamation case involving activist Omoyele Sowore.

Fani-Kayode made the clarification following claims that Sowore had referenced statements allegedly made by him about Tinubu over a decade ago in a bid to justify comments that are now the subject of a criminal defamation case.

According to Fani-Kayode, Sowore falsely claimed that he had accused Tinubu of being responsible for the death of former Lagos State governorship candidate, Chief Funso Williams, in 2003.

“That allegation is untrue. I never said that President Tinubu killed Funso Williams,” Fani-Kayode said.

He explained that the statement he made 11 years ago was: “I am not Funso Williams; I cannot be killed like a chicken,” adding that the remark had since been withdrawn and acknowledged as inappropriate and capable of being misconstrued.

Fani-Kayode said the comments were made during the 2015 presidential election campaign, when he served as Director of Media and Publicity of former President Goodluck Jonathan’s Presidential Campaign Organisation under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

He noted that intense political rivalries during election campaigns often lead to harsh exchanges, describing such occurrences as common in political contests worldwide.

The former minister further stated that he left the PDP in 2020 and joined the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2021, after which he became a staunch supporter of Tinubu.

He said he later played a key role as Director of New Media and Special Operations in Tinubu’s 2023 Presidential Campaign Organisation, leading a directorate of about 250 people and contributing to the president’s electoral victory.


Fani-Kayode added that he has continued to support and defend President Tinubu and his administration since the president was sworn into office, insisting that his actions demonstrate that he harbours no misgivings against the president.

He also stated that although Reno Omokri opposed Tinubu’s candidacy during the 2023 election, Omokri had since retracted his criticisms after the president’s victory and now supports his policies.

Fani-Kayode described attempts to associate himself or Omokri with Sowore’s legal troubles as “absurd,” urging Sowore to retract his statements about the president or be prepared to defend them in court.

He concluded by praising President Tinubu for what he described as magnanimity and tolerance, noting that the president had shown openness by welcoming former critics into his political fold.

Omokri and Fani-Kayode are among the ambassadorial nominees recently appointed by Tinubu. The duo who were harsh critics of the president and the ruling party have been heavily criticised, particularly on social media.