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Tag: Festus Keyamo

  • Between Keyamo and Dino

    SIR: In the heated conversation that ensued between Festus Keyamo, spokesman for the ruling APC, and Dino Melaye, a serving senator and main opposition PDP member, I wish to state that the former was apt, clear and right on President Muhammadu Buhari’s call. In fact, it was a conversation that is truly enlightening and educative.

    Dino Melaye’s overall contribution can be summed up to be simply playing the emotional cards. In doing so, he was as theatrical as ever. Dino only plied the emotional route without concrete reasons other than sticking to the campaign script of the PDP – latch forcefully on any available opportunity that would favourably direct public sympathy to the party. In doing the aforementioned – ignore historical accounts and facts, strangle and twist logic, attach sinister colorations, and ensure all these are carried out in full blown denigrating verbal fisticuffs. That’s why he kept insisting that Keyamo is endorsing illegality with illegality. Citing example with children watching the programme. Sarcastically attacking the president and applying the draconian coloration. He argued without reason and logic, with little or no factual backing whatsoever.

    Keyamo on the other hand was very unambiguous and direct but swayed when invited to the mud by his counterpart. He dished out constitutional backings to the controversial statement of the president as expected.

    Now, do ballot box snatchers commit treason? Fact check: YES. The dictionary defines treason as “crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill or overthrow the sovereign or government”. By snatching ballot boxes, the offenders betray the electoral process of the country and consequently attempt to overthrow a government. Nigeria’s constitution describes treasonable crime as; “whoever intends to: (a) remove otherwise than by constitutional means during his term or office— (i) The President of The Federal Republic of Nigeria; or (ii) The Governor of any state of The Federal Republic of Nigeria. The punishment accordingly states that; “whoever commits treason shall be punished with death, and whoever abets treason shall be punished with imprisonment for life or for any less term or with fine or with both.

    Also, under the Armed Forces of the Federation 218 (1) the powers of the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federation shall include power to determine the operational use of the Armed Forces of the Federation. By urging the security apparatuses to be ruthless in discharge of their duties, Buhari was simply exercising his powers constitutionally. The armed forces are guided on the exercise of their duties in securing and guaranteeing the sanctity of votes which has in the past been hindered by ballot box snatchers.

    On the use of force in arrest (like the ballot box snatchers) as captured in Tactics B: Lecture Notes For Senior Staff Course Qualifying Examination, prepared under the direction of Chief of Army Staff (2013), the law provides that in effecting or assisting in a lawful arrest of an offender or suspect or person unlawfully at large, a person (security personnel especially) could use minimum necessary force. Force may be used not only against the person who is being arrested, but also against any other person who is physically preventing or obstructing an arrest. Also, on the degree of force that may be used, the law submits that “ a person, whether a police, soldier or civilian, may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstance, for the prevention of crime and making lawful arrests.

    As for those raising alarm over the misinterpreted “kill” or coloured “shoot on sight” order of the C-in-C, section (e) under the use of firearms states that; a soldier can open fire also to defend property or persons, which is his duty to guard and protect from forcible crime, which could result in serious damage to the property or injury to persons. Hence, thugs here can be fired upon if they constitute a threat to credible elections which will cause serious damage to Nigeria and her citizens.

    Best advice? Like the famous slogan – don’t try it. Thou should not temper with the ballot boxes! Keyamo is 100% right and clear!!!

     

    • Ibrahim Yahaya,  Suleja, Niger State.

  • Keyamo, Melaye clash over Buhari’s ballot snatching statement

    The Director, Strategic Communication of President Muhammadu Buhari, Festus Keyamo and Senator Dino Melaya of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday clashed over the President statement on punishment meant for those who snatch ballot boxes.

    At a political discussion on Channels Television, Keyamo said the President merely justified the position of the law, which outlines punishment for those who used forceful means to dispossess of their right to free electoral participation.

    He said the position of the President was to warn the violent minority who tried to make life unbearable for the peaceful majority.

    Keyamo said the President would not seat aloof, while some thugs tried to derail the free will of the people to decide how they wanted to be governed.

    Read also: SOKAPU to El-Rufai: exhume victim’s corpses to justify 130 casualty figure

     He said: “What the President said is 100 per cent correct. The law is that when you are caught at the scene of an attack, for fomenting violent, like ballot snatching, that is you have threatened peoples live and the punishment for that is death.

    “Again, when the President said those who snatch ballot boxes, will be punished, he did not mention APC or PDP. He simply said those who snatch boxes, so why is the PDP making issues out of it.”

    Responding, Malaye said the President statement was too harsh, noting that people could only by punished after going through due process and found guilty of the offences they are accused of committing.

    He said government position amount to curing illegality with illegality, noting that it leaves the electoral process in a precarious situation.

    “We are supposed to be in a civilized country, where there should be decorum. It is so appalling that such a statement emanated from the President.  And instead of apologizing, the APC is trying to justify the statement of the President.”

  • Stop the desperation for power, APC campaign council tells Atiku

    The APC Presidential Campaign Council has told the Presidential candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Atiku Abubakar to stop being desperate about winning Saturday’s Presidential election.

    In a statement signed by spokesman of the Council, Festus Keyamo, the APC campaign council told the former Vice President to always bear in mind that God is the one who gives power.

    Keyamo who was reacting to a statement credited to Atiku in Port Harcourt alleging that President Buhari called for violence while campaigning in Zamfara accused the PDP candidate of planting seeds of misinformation in the mind of Nigerians.

    He said: “Typical of the PDP and Atiku’s Campaign team, they have continued in their favourite pastime of peddling falsehood, scaremongering and misinformation.

    “This time, the candidate of the main opposition himself, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, sensing a comprehensive defeat this Saturday and out of frustration, threw caution to the wind in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State on Monday, February 11, 2019, when he alleged that President Muhammadu Buhari called for violence when he campaigned in Zamfara State.

    “Nothing can be farther from the truth. The Hausa word the President used in Zamfara, which has been taken out of context, is “fitna”. Incidentally all our Hausa language scholars have said the word means different things: it means distress, trial, affliction or temptation. It can also be used to describe rebellion or uprising.

    Read Also: Council boss warns youths to shun crime

    “In this case, President Buhari was actually weighing in on the joke told very often of recent in the North that due to the rice boom, farmers have embarked on pilgrimage and the marrying of more wives.

    “So, what the President meant was actually a joke deliberately taken out of context: he simply told the crowd to ensure they eat very well because of the rice boom before they can contemplate giving in to those temptations.

    “Even in some private meetings with our campaign team, the President has always commented on this joke. Sadly, out of desperation, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar has decided to peddle falsehood.

    “We urge Alhaji Atiku Abubakar to realize that it is God Almighty that gives power and takes power. He should not use his palpable desperation to return to power (in order to sell Nigeria to his “friends” and to make them rich) to set this nation ablaze by outright falsehood.”

  • 2019: PDP plotting to unleash fake news to create panic – APC

    The APC Presidential Campaign Council has raised an alarm over what it described as an orchestrated plan by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and it’s Presidential candidate to create fear in the mind of Nigerians with a series of fake news that will heat up the polity.

    Spokesman of the campaign, Festus Keyamo said in a statement made available to newsmen that two of such fake news video have already been released the party.

    He reminded them that similar attempt in 2015 to scare Nigerians and cause them not to vote for President Buhari back fired, adding that the same plot will still back fire as Nigerians will overwhelmingly elect the President.

    He appealed to them not to create unnecessary panic in the land before, during and after the election.

    “In a move reminiscent of how the PDP hired Cambridge Analytica in 2015 to scare voters from voting for President Muhammadu Buhari, we understand the PDP is at it again a few days to the actual voting day. This time, sources within the heart of the operations of the PDP and security sources have informed us of plans already concluded by the PDP and Alhaji Atiku Abubakar’s campaign team to roll out a series of fake news designed again to scare voters from voting for President Muhammadu Buhari.

    “These fake news would consist of doctored videos and audio clips and fake news reports from fake news sites.

    “Two of such fake news in the series have already been released through their proxies and nameless individuals. The first is an audio clip of a supposed “nurse” of President Muhammadu Buhari telling voters that the President is sick and cannot govern for another four years.

    “We understand that a Nigerian girl whose real name is Sandra and who used a fake British accent did the said recording somewhere in Maitama in a house belonging to a PDP chieftain. Security operatives are already on her trail.

    “The second fake news released is on the purported death of Leah Sharibu. This is a lie from the pit of hell as the Federal Government’s effort to set her free has reached an advanced stage.

    “The other fake news lined up for the next few days by the PDP and Atiku’s handlers would consist of similar doctored audios, videos and fake news with no link to credible news sites.

    “Our advice to the leadership of the PDP is that Nigeria must not burn because of their selfish ambition. Enough damage was done from these kinds of narratives they pushed out in 2015 from which we have not fully recovered till date.

    “The election will come and go and Nigeria will remain one united, indivisible entity. We are shocked that the panic mode of the PDP has gone into overdrive, prompting them to push out such reckless fake news.

    “We wish to advise the leadership of the PDP that in order to reduce this type of panic and desperation on their part in 2023 (that is, if they survive as a party), they must find something meaningful to do outside government patronage after they lose the 2019 election.

    “This type of attitude is borne out of hanging around, idle and waiting endlessly for election cycles to try to get back to power to plunder our national resources. The bad news for them is that from feelers we are having on the ground, Nigerians are not yet prepared to forgive them for their 16 years of misrule, mismanagement and outright stealing of our national resources.

    “Nigerians should therefore be on the alert regarding these series of fake news in the next few days.”

     

  • Apostle Suleiman asks NBA to sanction Keyamo over Otobo

    A clergyman, Apostle Johnson Suleman, has petitioned the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) asking it to sanction Festus Keyamo (SAN) over public statements he made against him following one Stephanie Otobo’s allegation.

    Stephanie had alleged Apostle Suleiman had amorous relationship with her and promised to marry her but later reneged.

    In the petition, Apostle Suleiman alleged that Keyamo tried to smear his name through the media.

    Counsel to Suleiman, Barr. Olayiwola Afolabi told journalists in Benin City that the way and manner Keyamo went about the matter was unprofessional as he (Keyamo) refused to respond to letters sent to him by Suleman which prompted the decision to petition the NBA.

    Afolabi said Keyamo made spurious allegations against his client and engaged in  a smear campaign against Suleman but did not recant his statements when Otobo publicly apologised to Suleman.

    Read Also: Stephanie Otobo charged with blackmailing Apostle Suleiman

    He said, “While Keyamo made a demand on our client supposedly on the brief of Stephanie Otobo, our client had hardly received and acknowledged receipt of the letter when he followed up with a petition to the Inspector General of Police and organised media attack on our client.

    “As widely accepted in the legal sphere, an addressee of a letter ought to have taken receipt of it before any supposed action would be taken on it, but in this instance, not only did he make it a subject of media gossips, he engaged in active conversations in the public sphere through print and other media on the matter for which our client had no opportunity to debunk the allegations.

    Afolabi noted that Otobo later made a public apology to Suleman but Keyamo wss yet to retract his public statements against Suleman.

    A response to Apostle Suleman’s petition by the Secretary of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Jonathan Gunu Taidi dated 29th January 2019 directed Suleiman to within 21 days forward to it a statement sworn before a competent court, witness statement of any witness he may wish to call with “concise statement of material facts to be relied upon in support of the petition” with relevant documents, this it said would enable it take a decision on the petition.

  • Buhari storms Kano for mega rally

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Thursday storm Kano for the All Progressives Congress, (APC) mega rally for his second term re-election bid.

    According to a statement issued by Director, Strategic Communications, APC Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, informed all party faithful and supporters in Kano State should warmly welcome President Buhari to the ancient city.

    The statement noted that, “this notice has become necessary due to misinformation in certain quarters that the rally has been put off. This mischief is certainly aimed at dissuading our supporters from turning out en masse to receive the President.

    “Any such misinformation should be disregarded, please. Consequently, the APC Presidential Campaign Council hereby invites everyone to come and receive our President tomorrow as he makes his grand entrance into Kano State.”

    Meanwhile, the Kano State Police Command has assured the public of adequate security during President Buhari’s visit.

    Read Also: I’m for all APC candidates, says Buhari

    According to a Press Statement signed by the Command’s image-maker, DSP Abdullahi Haruna and made available to The Nation, “His Excellency, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, President Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR) is expected to pay visit to Kano in continuation of his nationwide electioneering campaign and to commission some laudable projects completed by the Kano State Government on Thursday, 31st January, 2019.

    “In view of the foregoing, the general public is therefore, enjoined to exhibit hospitality and good manners by turning out peacefully, decently and respectfully to welcome the number one citizen with  which Kano people are known for.

    “Parents, guardians, community and political leaders are to warn their followers not to engage in any act that may in any way dent the image of the state. Police and sister security agencies will be deployed to control traffic and the mammoth crowd that will turn out to receive the President, please.”

  • Buhari greets Keyamo at 49

    President Muhammadu Buhari has commended crusading lawyer, Festus Keyamo, for having earned the “highest place and esteem” in the legal profession through his defence of the rights of ordinary Nigerians.

    In a message of congratulations to mark Keyamo’s 49th birthday Monday, signed personally by him, the President thanked the Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council for bringing these qualities to bear on the ongoing campaign for elections.

    Read Also: Buhari protecting the poor, says Keyamo

    In a letter headlined “Happy Birthday, Festus,” President Buhari, according to a statement by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and publicity, Garba Shehu, said: “I write to heartily congratulate you on your 49th birthday, today. The story of your life has always been to speak up for the masses of our country and at critical times in the life of our nation.

    “You have also used law as an instrument to achieve these goals. This has rightly earned you the highest place and esteem in your profession as Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN.

    “As you apply these qualities in helping to CHANGE this nation through our campaigns, I pray that God Almighty will continue to bless you and grant you long life and good health.” he said

  • PDP not a threat to Buhari’s re-election — Keyamo

    Festus Keyamo (SAN), Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Presidential Campaign Council, says the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), is not a threat in the 2019 elections.

    He said that the PDP would never serve as a threat to the re-election bid of President Muhammadu Buhari

    Keyamo made the claim on Thursday during the inauguration of the Women and Youths Wing of the APC Presidential Campaign Team in Abuja.

    However, he called on APC supporters to intensify efforts towards ensuring that the party recorded massive victory at the polls.

    “ They are no longer a threat to President Muhammadu Buhari because their effort is collapsing.  They have more than four hundred groups but the groups are now dropping on a weekly basis.

    “ It clearly shows that they cannot function without public funds and they discovered that it is no longer business as usual,” he said.

    Keyamo also said that the opposition party has been disseminating false information to tarnish the image of President Buhari which would not help them at the polls.

    Read also: NAF neutralises scores of bandits in Zamfara

    Also speaking, the former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, commended the role of Wife of the President, Aisha Buhari for galvanizing support for the re-election of the President.

    Abba assured the President of their determination to mobilise women and youths to ensure victory in the 2019 elections.

    On her part, Mrs Pauline Tallen, expressed confidence that the women and youths of the party would do their best to ensure Buhari’s victory.

    “ Women and youths are the backbone of every electioneering campaign and we will engage them door-to-door.

    “ Mr President, we believe in you, as women we believe our hard work will be the reward,’’ she said.

    On his part, the Chairman of Board of Trustees of Buhari Support Organisation (BSO) Col. Hameed Ali (rtd), said that President Buhari was contesting for second term to save Nigeria from unpatriotic set of people.

    Ali however, charged members of the Buhari Support Organization to re-double their efforts to ensure that the President was re-elected (NAN).

  • Booing: Akintola, Kayemo disagree over lawmakers’ conduct

    Senior lawyers Chief Niyi Akintola and Festus Keyamo disagreed on Thursday following the indecorum of some lawmakers during President Muhammadu’s Buhari presentation of N8.83 trillion 2019 Appropriation Bill on Wednesday.

    Some of the lawmakers interrupted the President’s remarks during a joint sitting of the lower and upper chambers of the National Assembly, heckling him with shouts of ‘Lies! Lies!’

    This forced the President and his supporters to respond.

    Chief Akintola observed that such conduct was commonplace in democracies and urged President Buhari or any future occupant of the office to brace for more of such heckling.

    He said: “I don’t see why there should be any hullabaloo about it.

    “What happened was just normal in a democracy. There will always be people in support or against you.

    “It’s part of democracy. You could see there, depending on the side of the divide you found yourself, I watched it on Youtube.

    “Those in support of Buhari were more in number; they were shouting ‘Sai Baba! Sai Baba!’ and some others were booing. It was all normal.

    Akintola added: “You would also have noticed that most if the senators didn’t take part in that because they are senior citizens. They are supposed to be statesmen, so, they didn’t join in the rowdiness.

    “Most of the people that spearheaded the rowdiness were from the House of Representatives, which is understandable: they are younger men and women.

    “There’s nothing spectacular about it, it is normal. Even in advanced democracies Presidents are booed once in a while. They are even pelted with rotten eggs.”

    But Keyamo disagreed.

    According to him, the booing lawmakers’ had insulted the Office of the President and disqualified themselves from contesting for President in future.

    Keyamo said: “What they were booing yesterday was the Office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, not Buhari.

    “Buhari is not the owner of that office, whether in 2019 or 2023, he is going to leave the office.

    “They denigrated the office, not Buhari and the Office of the President is actually the symbol of the country.

    “By doing so, they showed that they are not worthy of their office.

    “The internet does not forget. Every single one of them that opened their mouths to boo the President would never ever aspire to the Office of the President of this country. They have disqualified themselves automatically.

    “The day any of them bring out posters that they want to contest for President, they will be shown their picture or video booing the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

    “They have automatically disqualified themselves as potential candidates forever, till they enter their graves because they have shown contempt for that office.

    “You cannot come tomorrow and say you want to elevate that office; you cannot.”

     

     

  • Supreme Court did not nullify Pinnick board’s election, NFF says

    The Nigeria Football Federation ( NFF ) on Friday in Abuja assured that there was no reason to get worried about a Supreme Court decision on the 2014 elections into its Executive Committee.

    The football body, on its twitter handle some moments after the court’s ruling, said the Supreme Court in Abuja did not nullify Amaju Pinnick’s election as NFF President.

    It said its reaction followed news to the contrary ongoing on social media.

    The newsmen reports that a football stakeholder, Chris Giwa, had been contesting the authenticity of the Pinnick-led board.

    While the Proprietor of Jos-based Giwa FC was elected NFF president at an NFF Congress in Abuja, Pinnick was elected at another NFF Congress in Warri on Sept. 30, 2014.

    Giwa took the matter to the apex court, after losing out at the Appeal Court and at the Court of Arbitration for Sport ( CAS ).

    Read Also: Supreme Court to go digital July 16, says Onnoghen

    NFF’s counsel, Festus Keyamo, was quoted in the tweet as saying: “Nobody should cause unnecessary panic in Nigeria’s football. That’s my case.

    “Supreme Court did not nullify Amaju’s election. The Supreme Court did not remove Amaju from office.

    “The Court only referred the case back to the Federal High Court to be tried properly, to know which of the elections held in 2014 was right.

    “Amaju was not a party to the case at the Supreme Court. So, the court could not have removed a party from office without joining the party and hearing from the party.’’

    NAN