Festus Keyamo, SAN, Minister of State for Labour and Employment, has disclosed that the opposition, which is uneasy ahead of the 2023 election, is behind calls for him to quit as minister after he was named the All Progressives Congress, APC’s presidential candidate’s campaign spokesperson.
The Minister made this assertion, on Sunday, August 15, 2022.
He spoke in the aftermath of growing calls for his resignation due to his role as the APC’s campaign spokesman.
Some critics had opined that it is tantamount to a clash of interests due to his ministerial appointment.
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However, Keyamo, in a statement, clarified; “My attention has been drawn to a statement by a certain CSO alleging a conflict of interest between my role as a campaign spokesperson and as Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
“First, without meaning to demean them, these are people fully aligned to opposition parties but disguising as CSOs. We know them. I cannot recall a single statement like this from these people throughout the PDP era when PDP ministers were fully involved in presidential campaign activities.
“For instance, in 2015, my brother, Special Duties Minister, Kabiru Turaki, served as the Deputy Director-General (North) of the PDP/Jonathan Campaign Council. These characters kept mum.
“So, you can be sure that this is PDP speaking through one of their NGOs.
“Second, I am a full member of my party, the APC, and I am entitled to participate in party activities. My dues to my party are deducted every month from my meagre salary and sent to the party. Being a director in a campaign council is like every other party activity.
“They want to deny me my fundamental human right to freedom of association because I am a minister. Third, there is no conflict of interest. I fail to see any. Am I using public resources to campaign? Not at all,” Keyamo noted.
