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Atiku’s Defection: Stop majoring on minors  —  Ex VP’s aide slams Keyamo

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Paul Ibe, the spokesperson for former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, has described comments by Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, as sycophantic and misplaced, following the minister’s criticism of Atiku’s recent resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and his alleged use of the national Coat of Arms.

Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Thursday, Ibe dismissed Keyamo’s objections as political theatre and accused him of ignoring more pressing responsibilities in his ministry.

“Where was Keyamo when Atiku Abubakar was in the frontline battling the military and eventually, with other compatriots, able to get them out? He is just playing to the gallery. Sycophancy is the end game,” Ibe said.

Keyamo had earlier condemned Atiku for announcing his resignation from the PDP during the national mourning of former President Muhammadu Buhari and accused the former vice president of impersonation for using the Nigerian Coat of Arms in his communications.

Responding, Ibe said there was no basis for the accusation. “Nobody is impersonating anybody. Atiku Abubakar is a former vice president. That is known. I don’t want to dignify him (Keyamo). He can go to court if he wants to,” he said.

Atiku’s reported move to the African Democratic Congress (ADC), a new opposition coalition aimed at challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 elections, has stirred debate within political circles. Keyamo had questioned both the timing and Atiku’s political consistency.

Ibe defended the former vice president’s political relevance and dismissed criticisms about his age. “Atiku Abubakar too old? Says who? The President of the United States of America, Donald Trump, is 79, and we are modelling our democracy after that of the United States. So, what are we talking about?” he asked.

He added that Atiku is in good health and capable of leadership. “Is Atiku Abubakar healthy? Is he strong? Does he have any infirmity?” he posed rhetorically.

On whether ADC would be Atiku’s final political platform, Ibe stated, “Mr Atiku Abubakar will determine that. I believe that the coalition offers a great prospect to reclaim and to rebuild Nigeria.”

Ibe further criticised Keyamo for focusing on Atiku’s resignation rather than addressing key issues in the aviation sector.

“It is unfortunate that Minister Keyamo is majoring on minors, and this gives an indication of how he runs the Ministry of Aviation,” Ibe said. 

“He has a whole lot on his plate — issues of infrastructure in our airports, runways, broken toilets in some of the terminals — and he still has time to talk about the resignation of someone in the PDP.”

He also accused the APC-led government of undermining democracy by coercing opposition politicians.

“In the last two years, we have seen a deterioration of our democratic process. Instruments of state, including and not limited to even the anti-corruption agencies, are used to coerce politicians into the APC. This is not what democracy is about; democracy is about people making choices,” he said.

Vanguard News

The post Atiku’s Defection: Stop majoring on minors  —  Ex VP’s aide slams Keyamo appeared first on Vanguard News.

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