Festus Keyamo, the spokesman for the All Progressives Congress (APC) Presidential Campaign Council, has responded to allegations that he lied about being a member of Senior lawyers defending President-elect Bola Tinubu’s mandate.
Remember that Keyamo revealed last week on TVC that Tinubu has assembled a team of SANs to defend his mandate.
However, the APC unveiled a thirteen-man list on Tuesday to face the opposition party’s candidate in court, and Keyamo’s name was missing.
It was previously reported that APC National Legal Adviser, Ahmad Usman El-Marzuq, released the 13-man list, which included 12 senior advocates, in a statement.
Wole Olanipekun, a legal legend who also serves as the ruling party’s lead counsel at the Presidential Election Tribunal, is at the top of the list.
Ahmad Usman El-Marzuq, Sam Ologunorisa, Rotimi Oguneso, Olabisi Soyebo, Gboyega Oyewole, Muritala Abdulrasheed, Aliyu Omezia Saiki, Tajudeen Oladoja, Pius Akubo, Oluseye Opasanya, Suraju Saida, and Kazeem Adeniyi are also among those named.
The omission of the Minister of State for Labour and Employment from the list sparked outrage online.
Responding via Twitter, Keyamo stated that the constitution prohibits a serving minister from being a member of any private legal team, but that the individual can only assist the team in preparation.
He wrote:
For those who made inquiries, a serving Minister (by our Constitution) cannot be listed in any private legal team, though he/she can support the team in preparation. Hence, the present cabinet Ministers who are SANs can only formally join the Election Petition team after May 29th.
For those who made inquiries, a serving Minister (by our Constitution) cannot be listed in any private legal team, though he/she can support the team in preparation. Hence, the present cabinet Ministers who are SANs can only formally join the Election Petition team after May 29th
— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) March 7, 2023
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