Femi Fani-Kayode, the former minister of aviation and a member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), has denied ever expressing interest in becoming the president of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), calling claims that he has been linked to the role “fake news.”
In a statement released Thursday, Fani-Kayode criticized the publications, calling them the work of “419 blogs” that spread misinformation and mischief.
“I have no knowledge of the NFF. He stated, “I have not been asked or nominated for its chairmanship or presidency, and I would politely decline if such an approach were ever made.”
The former minister claimed that he had entered the campaign but then withdrew to support another candidate, and he expressed disbelief at seeing false quotations and articles going viral online.
The public should ignore what he called “a deeply insulting attempt to drag my name into a matter I know nothing about,” he emphasized, adding that he has no connection with football administration.
Fani-Kayode cautioned against the dissemination of false material, saying that only remarks made via his verified social media accounts on Facebook, Instagram, and X or his official website, femifanikayode.org, should be regarded as genuine.
These anonymous blogs have a criminal bent. They give me credit for things I never said. He warned Nigerians to exercise vigilance and to be extremely suspicious of any story that did not come from my approved sources.
In Nigeria, fake news has become a persistent problem, and despite the harm done to institutions and reputations, its propagators are not held responsible. Citizens have fiercely opposed every attempt by the government to control social media in an effort to lessen the threat, viewing such actions as a ruse to stifle free expression.
There is currently no reliable proof that Fani-Kayode was ever a candidate for the NFF leadership, according to investigations conducted by major news organizations.
