Announcing your exit from PDP while Nigerians mourn Buhari is distasteful – Keyamo blasts Atiku

• He stated that such a move reeks of desperation and lack of sympathy as it is aimed at redirecting the nation’s attention from Buhari’s death to Atiku’s political shenanigans

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has railed against what he said is former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s obsession with becoming Nigeria’s president.

This is even as he castigated Atiku for announcing his resignation from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, when the nation is mourning ex-president Muhammadu Buhari.

In a statement on his X account on Wednesday, Keyamo stated that Atiku’s declaration of his exit from the PDP a day after Buhari’s was buried is distasteful and reprehensible.

He stated that such a move reeks of desperation and lack of sympathy as it is aimed at redirecting the nation’s attention from Buhari’s death to Atiku’s political shenanigans.

“Your Excellency, @atiku, whilst I acknowledge that it is within your constitutional right to change political parties at any time you may wish, however, releasing your letter of resignation from the PDP during this week of the mourning of our immediate past president, Muhammadu Buhari, is clearly an attempt to draw the spotlight away from such a solemn occasion and direct it on yourself. In fact (as the image below shows), you prepared, typed, signed, and delivered that letter the morning after the passing away of the former president was announced. With the greatest respect to you, this clearly demonstrates that your obsession with your perennial presidential ambition knows no sympathy or empathy.”

Keyamo also warned Atiku to refrain from using the Coat of Arms of the Federal Government in his private or political communications when he is no longer a functionary of the Federal Government.

He noted that his continued use of the nation’s official emblems in a private capacity is unlawful and morally reprehensible.

” And since we are on the issue of your letter, it is both morally and legally wrong to continue to use the Coat of Arms of the Federal Government in your private or political communications when you stopped being a functionary of the Federal Government more than 18 years ago. Section 6 of the Flag and Coat of Arms Act, Cap. F30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, makes this an offence.

“Morally, it is also reprehensible to use a symbol suggesting that you are acting on behalf of the authority that symbol represents. It borders on impersonation. Imagine a situation where all former government functionaries continue to use the Coat of Arms of Nigeria in their personal, political, or private communications. There would certainly be confusion everywhere”