The Asiwaju Bola Tinubu presidential campaign spokesperson, Festus Keyamo, has promised to “help” former Senator Dino Melaye nurture his music and comedy career after the 2023 General Election.
Keyamo made the jeering remark in response to Melaye who had described his claim that Atiku Abubakar lacks executive experience as “myopic, porous, parochial and intellectually stagnant”.
Keyamo, during an interview last week, said Atiku who is the presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has “never shown capacity where he makes the final call” hence does not have the requisite experience to lead a nation like Nigeria.
“Even Peter Obi is ahead of Atiku Abubakar,” Keyamo, who doubles as the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, had said.
But Melaye, who was recently appointed as one of the campaign spokespersons for Atiku, came down on the minister, saying his “inactive ministerial sojourn is affecting him.”
In a video posted on his Facebook page, the former Kogi West Senator said “if he (Keyamo) has succeeded as a minister, he won’t be talking the way he is talking. Many Nigerians will tell you today they don’t know the ministry Keyamo is working for because he is redundant, inactive and consumed by the aura of Ngige, the superior minister.”
Reacting on Arise TV’s ‘News Night’ monitored by THE WHISTLER on Monday night, the minister said he was more interested in campaigning on issues rather than engaging in comedy and theatrics
“As a Senior Advocate (of Nigeria) and as an active practitioner, I represented some of the best artists in Nigeria and the best comedians in Nigeria. Wizkid, Burna Boy, Psquare, Chidinma… I’m calling names.
“I’ve been their lawyer, I nurtured them (and) I’m proud of who they have become. I saw Mr Macaroni through school, he was to be expelled. These are wonderful boys who are doing well in their careers.
“I promise Dino, when I leave office, I will nurture his career as a comedian and a musician. Because he didn’t come to me that’s why. If he had come to me, I would have nurtured him like I nurtured others.
“But I promise that when they declare Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as winner, and I go back to my practice, I will nurture his music and comedy career. He will do well there.
On Melaye’s claim that he has been made redundant since his appointment as junior labour minister, Keyamo said: “I’m not on the ballot so my concentration is the candidate, Atiku and the issues, Dino can provide the side comedy but I will help him when I leave office.”
