The Presidency Monday described as fake news an online report that President Muhammadu Buhari had called for the removal of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, as spokesmen of All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council.
Presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, in reaction to the report by the online newspaper, stressed that the unfounded report was part of conspiracy theories being hatched by detractors to defame the ruling party.
He noted that both President Muhammadu Buhari and APC presidential flag bearer, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, are very satisfied with Keyamo’s performance as campaign spokesman.
Mr Shehu’s reaction read:
“The news that President Muhammadu Buhari has called for the removal of Festus Keyamo, SAN as a spokesperson of the APC Presidential Campaign Council is fake news.
“Both President Buhari and the Presidential Candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu are happy with the job Keyamo is doing, and with the general set up of the impending campaign, which has already become an example for other parties.
“We aware that conspiracy theories are being hatched with a ripple effect to defame our party leaders and hold back the campaign. Supporters of our candidates should not pay attention to “news” from these fountains of false narratives”.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, had earlier on Monday, accused the opposition of spinning false reports in a futile attempt to unseat him as Spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress Presidential Campaign Council.
Keyamo’s rebuttal is coming on the heels of an online publication that has been trending on social media all morning that he has incurred the wrath of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) and members of the Aso Rock cabal with his ‘frequent unguarded comments’.
While describing him as a ‘loose cannon’, the report quoted a presidential source as saying he is constantly ‘demarketing’ the gains of Buhari’s administration in the last seven years despite being a serving minister.
The report partly read, “Buhari has asked for the removal of Festus Keyamo as the party’s campaign spokesperson. The President accused him of always de-marketing his regime, describing the government in which he is a minister as a failed regime.
/Punch/Sun
