Gearing towards 2019 elections, Buhari's new spokesman says he's not an angel

As Nigerian politicians and citizens gear towards the 2019 Presidential and general elections, President Muhammadu Buhari's newly chosen spokesman for his re-election campaign has said he is not an angel.

On Tuesday, April 17, 2018, the Nigerian President had picked Human rights lawyer, Festus Keyamo (SAN), as the official spokesperson for the re-election campaign as conveyed in a letter by the Director General of the campaign, Rotimi Amaechi.

In a statement on why he accepted the role despite his criticism of past administrations, Keyamo said he is persuaded to campaign for President Buhari because he's not an angel but has an austere lifestyle with a Spartan taste and frugal nature.

"I am persuaded to campaign for him by his austere lifestyle, his Spartan taste and frugal nature. I am not looking for a god or an angel to vote for. They are not around here on earth. I am only looking for someone with these minimum personal qualities I have enumerated above. The President’s other human flaws may be there, but I am waiting for the candidates of our opponents to show me their credentials from heaven," Keyamo said.

The confirmation, which is coming two months after Pulse had exclusively reported that Keyamo was going to be named Buhari's campaign spokesperson, was earlier conveyed to the Human rights activist during consultation process.

I took a cue from Gani Fawehinmi to serve Buhari - Keyamo

Buhari's re-election campaign spokesman, Festus Keyamo has said his decision to accept the job is because of the beliefs of his late boss and one of Nigeria's legal luminaries, Gani Fawehinmi.

He said: "In doing this (accepting the job), I take a cue from my revered late boss, Chief Gani Fawehinmi, SAN who mentored me. Throughout his career, he also consistently and fiercely engaged every government in Nigeria and suffered as a result. Guess what? THE ONLY GOVERNMENT HE FULLY SUPPORTED THROUGHOUT HIS LIFETIME was that led by General Muhammdu Buhari in 1984 – 1985; and that was to the chagrin of some of his professional colleagues and fellow “radicals”.

"However, he saw what they did not see at that time, because when that government was overthrown by General Babangida, what followed was the worst era in our history in terms of institutionalizing corruption and political chicanery in Nigeria. In the 2007 Presidential election, my late boss again endorsed General Buhari in the following words: “When we talk of anti-corruption war, there is no way you will exclude General Buhari. I don’t want to hear what a political party is going to do, whether ANPP or PDP or NDP or which other political organization. Tell me who is leading the party, tell me who is leading the government, that’s my concern. It’s a matter of leadership. This is a serious election, very serious one”."

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The acceptance speech of Keyamo was posted on the official Facebook page of the Governor of Kaduna, Nasir El-Rufai on Wednesday, April 18, 2018.

Gearing towards 2019 elections, Buhari's new spokesman says he's not an angel

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