The Presidency has described as false, the rumour that Festus Keyamo is to be relieved of his position as the spokesman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council.
Some online media outlets on Monday published reports claiming that President Muhammadu Buhari and an ‘Aso Rock cabal’ had been displeased by some of Keyamo’s statements in media interviews, which had allegedly been unfavourable to the image of the administration.
In fact, some of the reports claim that Buhari’s grouse with Keyamo is because he has been making comments that de-market the administration while granting interviews as the party’s campaign council’s spokesman.
But the Presidency, in rwaction Monday evening, described the news as fake, maintaining that Buhari and the party’s presidential candidate, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, are satisfied with Keyamo’s work as the campaign council’s spokesman.
Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said there are conspiracies by some unnamed elements to defame the leaders of the party and create a clog in the wheel of the presidential campaign.
“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 doing, and with the general set up of the impending campaign, which has already become an example for other parties.
“We are 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,” Shehu reportedly said.
On his part, Keyamo in a tweet described it as comical fake news emanating from the opposition.
“Very funny fake news,” he said.
“When people feel uncomfortable with your uncompromising defence of your mandate, they promote such fake news to achieve a purpose. The opposition think they can plant stories to destabilise our ranks. This is the height of the panic mode they find themselves,” he concluded.