Fani-Kayode Denies Ever Accusing Tinubu of Funso Williams’ Murder, Slams Sowore for Misrepresentation

By Tgnews Reporter

Former Minister of Aviation Femi Fani-Kayode has firmly rejected claims that he accused President Bola Tinubu of involvement in the 2006 murder of Chief Funso Williams, describing the allegation as false and a desperate attempt by activist Omoyele Sowore to bolster his defense in an ongoing criminal defamation case.

In a strongly worded post on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, Fani-Kayode addressed Sowore, the publisher of SaharaReporters, who is currently facing trial for allegedly defaming President Tinubu.

Fani-Kayode stated that Sowore had referenced purported remarks he made about Tinubu 11 years ago during the 2015 presidential election campaign in his capacity as Director of Media and Publicity for the Goodluck Jonathan campaign under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in an effort to justify his own position in court.

“He (Sowore) claimed that I said that President Tinubu killed Chief Funso Williams. This is false. I never said that President Tinubu killed Funso Williams,” Fani-Kayode declared.

He clarified that the actual statement in question was: “I am not Funso Williams; I cannot be killed like a chicken.” Fani-Kayode emphasized that those were his exact words nothing more and stressed that he had long since retracted the remark, acknowledging it as inappropriate and open to misinterpretation.

Chief Funso Williams, a prominent Lagos politician and former governorship aspirant of the PDP, was brutally murdered in his Ikoyi residence in July 2006 during a period of intense political rivalry in Lagos State.

Fani-Kayode accused Sowore of obsession with President Tinubu and of dragging up old, withdrawn statements in a bid to exonerate himself amid his legal troubles.

He noted that both he and former presidential aide Reno Omokri had retracted harsh criticisms of Tinubu from that era years ago.

The denial comes as Sowore’s trial continues in the Federal High Court in Abuja, where he faces charges related to cyberstalking and defamation over social media posts labeling the president a “criminal.”

Recent court proceedings have seen attempts by Sowore’s side to introduce historical political statements and criticisms of Tinubu, including references to old videos and claims involving figures like Fani-Kayode and Omokri.

Fani-Kayode urged Sowore to “face your case” and focus on his defense rather than misrepresenting past comments from political opponents who have since moved on.

The exchange highlights lingering tensions from Nigeria’s turbulent political history, particularly around high-profile unsolved cases like the Williams murder, which occurred while Tinubu was governor of Lagos State.

No immediate response from Sowore or his legal team to Fani-Kayode’s latest statement was available at the time of filing.