Dele Momodu, director of strategic communication of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) campaign council, has cautioned Festus Keyamo, minister of state for labour, against making unguarded utterances.
Momodu gave the warning on Tuesday while responding to a recent comment by Keyamo, who is the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council.
Following the unveiling of the manifesto of Bola Tinubu, APC presidential candidate, Momodu had criticised the document, saying it is an “appropriation” of MKO Abiola’s legacy.
Reacting, Keyamo said the publisher of Ovation Magazine should stick to “praise-singing” instead of critiquing policy statements.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Momodu said Keyamo is a “certified nuisance” who has “become a shadow of his old self” after he was appointed as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“I have just read Festus Keyamo’s response to my critique of the APC Manifesto of lies. I’m not surprised that all he could do was yell as usual without examining or practically addressing the content of my article. Unfortunately, he picked on the wrong customer,” the statement reads.
“Let me take a few minutes to educate this young friend of mine who has since become a shadow of his old self since he was offered an appointment, that makes him look so incompetent, by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“Any self-respecting soul would have since resigned but Festus Keyamo was not at home the day shame came visiting. The Ministry in which he’s a mere figurehead is in total shambles and only a Bola Tinubu would have given the job of a spokesperson to such a certified nuisance.
“What did Festus say I did wrong? He quoted copiously from an article I wrote about two years ago, which the Tinubu media teams have been using to campaign endlessly because they have no stronger voice of their own. I’m indeed flattered.
“There is no doubt that I love Tinubu the Man but I disagree vehemently with Tinubu the Politician. This is not the first time I will say it publicly. Since I now have the opportunity of presenting the bones of my disagreement with Tinubu, courtesy of Festus Keyamo, I will lay them bare.
“I hope Keyamo does not delude himself that I cannot make my own choices. I certainly have, and done so openly and boldly. Atiku Abubakar is my choice. He is not a pretender to the throne. He has pursued his dreams with grace, good comportment, self-discipline and uncommon equanimity.
“Festus and his gang keep quoting a 2019 article that I wrote. They should go and frame my other writings too.
“As for that political neophyte called Keyamo, he still has a lot to learn while trying hard to be a lap dog. He should be reminded that he is still a Minister of State of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, paid at the taxpayer’s expense. He should learn to moderate his undue exuberance.
“I could go on ad infinitum but let’s cool temper for now.”
