Ambassador-designate and former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, has condemned the reactions of some Nigerians who celebrated a momentary misstep by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his official visit to Turkey.
In a two-page commentary titled The Enemy Within, the former Minister of Culture and Tourism described the jubilation over the incident as regrettable, noting that slipping or falling is a common human occurrence that could happen to anyone.
Fani-Kayode argued that the President’s critics failed to recognise that an elected leader symbolises the nation itself. He alleged that many of those amplifying the incident were “proxies of a handful of opposition political leaders” intent on discrediting the government and destabilising the country.
“It is to the glory of God and to the shame of our detractors and the enemy within that though our President slipped and fell in Turkey before the entire world, he rose again with strength and pride like the phoenix,” he wrote.
According to him, President Tinubu went on to successfully negotiate and sign multiple bilateral agreements with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, deals he said would bring “security, succour and prosperity” to Nigeria.
Fani-Kayode further accused unnamed political leaders—whom he described as the “enemy within”—of allegedly working in collaboration with foreign interests. He claimed these actors secretly encourage narratives that suit their political ambitions while publicly condemning the same issues.
He also criticised what he described as oversimplified narratives surrounding insecurity and religious targeting in Nigeria. According to him, claims that the crisis could be resolved merely by presenting Christian candidates or running mates fail to grasp the deeper and more complex nature of the problem.
“These views,” he said, “do not fully recognise the depth and complexity of the situation and can therefore be described as simplistic, myopic and misplaced.”
The former minister urged Nigerians to place national interest above partisan sentiments, warning that celebrating perceived misfortunes of the President ultimately reflects poorly on the country as a whole.