By Eric Elezuo
The immediate past Speaker of the House of Representatives, Hon Yakubu Dogara, has come hard on the spokesperson of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, Festus Keyamo, asking the lawyer to try and win a councillorship election before considering himself his equal in politics.
Both lawyers had been engaged in banters following a tweet by President Muhammadu Buhari, where he endorsed Asiwaju Bola Tinubu for president.
Buhari, on his Twitter handle, described Tinubu as a Nigerian who would give his best to Nigeria.
The tweet read, “Today in Lafia, Nasarawa State, I delivered my message: vote Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as the next President of Nigeria and vote Governor Abdullahi Sule for a second term. I have known Asiwaju for more than 20 years; he is a committed Nigerian; he will give his best to Nigeria.”
Dogara, who reacted to the president’s comment, however, described it as a satire.
He said, “I know that PMB loves to crack jokes but I didn’t know he will escalate it to the level of satire. Asiwaju will give his best to Nigeria, really? Fake certificates, fake parentage, golden triangle escapades, racketeering. No, PMB. Nigeria does not deserve his best but we get the satire.”
In an exchange that followed, Keyamo said the comment was beneath Dogara, just as he described him as a political prostitute and backstabber.
He said, “My brother and law schoolmate, @YakubDogara, this tweet is beneath you. You are pained by the support of PMB for @officialABAT, two leaders who have stayed true to their beliefs and causes, unlike the political prostitute, wanderer and back-stabber that you’ve always been.”
Dogara, who fired back at Keyamo, asked him to contest for the post of a councillor before they both could be regarded as mates in politics.
He said, “My brother, I have a name for you but because it’s not a good one, I won’t say it as a cost of friendship. Yes, we were mates at Law School but I am waiting for you to win a councillorship election first so we can be mates in politics. Learn to punch below your weight category.”
Keyamo, in another reply to Dogara, said he had reached the height of his profession as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, adding that he should learn to respect his seniors.
He said, “My brother, it is sad you think every one must be rated by elections won and lost. You’ve just insulted millions of Nigerians in their various fields of endeavour. Let me remind you that I’ve reached the height of our profession and you must learn to respect your senior at the bar.”
