It’s been a few days of back and forth in the media between Festus Keyamo, the minister of state for the Niger Delta, now serving as the spokesperson of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council and Dele Momodu, the director of strategic communications for the Atiku/Okowa Presidential Campaign Council.
The sparring began when Momodu, the publisher of the popular society magazine, Ovation International, slammed the manifesto released by Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Released on Friday, the manifesto has been labelled a plagiarised version of the 1993 manifesto of the late Moshood K Abiola, the man believed to have won the controversial presidential election conducted by the former military ruler, General Ibrahim B. Babangida.
We received the latest reply to Festus Keyamo, a senior advocate of Nigeria, sent to The Trent on Wednesday, October 26, 2022 by Momodu, who is also a former presidential candidate having run in 2011 as the candidate of the National Conscience Party.
In the deeply personal statement, Momodu declared that Keyamo was possessed with demons and is in need of an exorcism. “I noticed your rapid deterioration since you took on this job of Junior Minister in a Ministry bedevilled with so much confusion. You need urgent deliverance from your present giddiness and I would gladly oblige you the services of an exorcist…,” Momodu wrote.
You may read the statement, published unedited, below:
Dear Festus,
Once again I’m compelled to respond to your diatribe against my person just because I critiqued the manifesto of your Presidential candidate, Chief Bola Tinubu.
I will only state the following for the records:
You and I never interacted much other than on occasions when you needed free publicity as always and would do anything for attention. There was the occasion when you had a controversial battle with your date and I called to appeal to you to do the needful. I also called on you at your office to congratulate you on the attainment of your Senior Advocate of Nigeria status. On all occasions, you accorded me the respect that I earned and deserve.
You will recall that you practically photobombed yourself into our picture the day I walked into Major General Muhammadu Buhari’s apartment in London because it was an opportunity for you to trend. You’re a media creation and we supplied you the oxygen regularly.
Let me note that unlike you, I was not desperate for any appointment and so did not join APC when I humbly supported Buhari. There was never a time I discussed APC with you, when I had direct access to your Bosses. I discovered the rudderlessness of APC government early enough and promptly, and publicly, apologized to Nigerians for my past support.
History would forever record my modest contribution to that blistering campaign for which my impact was considered significant.
On Governor Akinwumi Ambode, he had so much to offer and showcase to the world and I was happy to celebrate him amongst the pantheon of great African leaders with remarkable infrastructure projects, in the league of President John Mahama and Governor Nyesom Wike. Ovation International has remained consistent with this great tradition. Our job is too serious and very different from that of a busybody Lawyer who jumps into every case just for hype.
I noticed your rapid deterioration since you took on this job of Junior Minister in a Ministry bedevilled with so much confusion. You need urgent deliverance from your present giddiness and I would gladly oblige you the services of an exorcist…
Your Brother,
Dele Momodu
