Atiku’s aide to Keyamo: Resign as minister if you disagree with naira redesign policy

Phrank Shaibu, an aide to Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on communications, says Festus Keyamo should resign from his position as minister of state for labour if he disagrees with the government’s naira redesign policy.

Shaibu was reacting to comments credited to Keyamo that President Muhammadu Buhari may have acted on “wrong advice” regarding his recent directive on the old naira notes.

On Thursday, Buhari said he has directed the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to extend the validity of old N200 notes till April 10 – despite a subsisting order of the supreme court which held that all the old notes are still legal tender.

In a statement on Saturday, Shaibu said by portraying Buhari as an old man who does not have a mind of his own, Keyamo is taking a “cowardly approach” to the issue.

“Keyamo should be bold enough to condemn the president and resign just as some ministers usually resign in the United Kingdom when they don’t agree with the Prime Minister’s action,” he said.

“If he wants to criticize the president, let him do it boldly with his full chest instead of attacking some unnamed advisers of the president and portraying the President as a helpless old man who does not have a mind of his own.

“That is a cowardly approach.”

He said the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign council never spoke about serious events that occurred during the Buhari administration.

“To be clear, Festus Keyamo has been the minister of state for labour and employment since 2019,” he said.

“Under the watch of this retired activist and erstwhile rights crusader, ASUU has spent a combined 18 months on strike in 43 months.

“Keyamo never spoke up. In fact, he dumped ASUU at the negotiation table to go and campaign for Bola Tinubu.

“When he was confronted on national television, he asked parents to go and negotiate with lecturers. Suddenly, he has found his voice because of a cashless policy that will deter his new master from deploying bullion vans on election day.”