Momodu to Keyamo: You’re a certified nuisance, political neophyte

The Director of Strategic Communications of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Presidential Campaign Council, Dele Momodu, has described the spokesperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, as “a certified nuisance”, who has “since become a shadow of his old self” after he was appointed as a minister by President Muhammadu Buhari.

Momodu said the ministry in which Keyamo “is a mere figurehead is in total shambles”.

The published of Ovation Magazine said this via a statement issued on Tuesday in reaction to a recent comment by Keyamo after Momodu described the manifesto of the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Bola Tinubu, as an appropriation of MKO Abiola’s legacy, noting that it was copied from the late politician’s ‘Hope 93’ manifesto.

The Minister of State for Labour and Employment later lashed out at the veteran journalist, saying he should stay in “his accustomed lane of praise-singing socialites” instead of “dabbling in the more demanding job of critiquing policy statements”.

However, Momodu, on Tuesday, said only Tinubu would have appointed “a certified nuisance” as his spokesperson, adding that the minister is a “political neophyte”.

He said: “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 a wrong customer.

“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.

“Tinubu has declined in the last few years. I used to see him as a man of his people but no supposed generalissimo would ever abandon his people in days of trouble and tribulation. None of the people around him could tell him the truth for pecuniary reasons. He knows it himself but he desperately wants to be President of Nigeria, by fire by force, after he has lost most of his formidable foot soldiers, and now relying on outsiders to activate and actualise his lifelong ambition for him, which is his legitimate right. But Nigerians have the right to scrutinise his action plans.

Momodu added: “I have been actively involved in politics. I hope Keyamo does not delude himself that I cannot make my own choices. I certainly have, and done so openly 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 tax-payer’s expense. He should learn to moderate his undue exuberance.

“I could go on ad infinitum but let’s cool temper for now,” he said.

The Star