Keyamo to Onaiyekan: Dear Daddy, stop embarrassing Body of Christ over Tinubu

• Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, has criticized Cardinal John Onaiyekan’s recent comment on swearing-in politicians while their electoral victories are being challenged in court.
• Onaiyekan made the statement during an interview with Channels TV, where he reacted to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election and Bola Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the election.
• Keyamo, who was a spokesperson for the Bola Tinubu Presidential campaign council, deemed Onaiyekan’s comment as unstatesmanlike.

The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo, has criticized Cardinal John Onaiyekan’s recent comment on the swearing-in of politicians whose electoral victories are being challenged in court. Onaiyekan, the Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Abuja, made the statement during an interview with Channels TV, where he reacted to the outcome of the 2023 presidential election and Bola Tinubu’s declaration as the winner of the election.

In response to Onaiyekan’s comment, Keyamo, who was a spokesperson for the Bola Tinubu Presidential campaign council, deemed it unstatesmanlike. He noted that Onaiyekan’s comment was likely prompted by the outcome of the election, which did not favor the candidate he and his religious brethren supported. Keyamo accused Onaiyekan and his supporters of singling out Tinubu for criticism because they felt embarrassed by their loss in the election.

The debate on the swearing-in of politicians whose electoral victories are being challenged in court has been ongoing for some time. While some argue that it is important to ensure that only validly elected candidates are sworn in, others believe that the swearing-in should proceed as scheduled to avoid creating a power vacuum. Regardless of the position taken, it is essential to ensure that the democratic process is upheld and that the will of the people is respected.

Keyamo wrote;

‘’Dear daddy Onaiyekan, you know we all respect you a lot, but your political comments are becoming unstatesmanlike.

A statesman who doubles as a Man of God should strive to be fair to all. You didn’t say the same thing when Obasanjo, Yar’Adua, Jonathan and Buhari were all sworn in as Presidents when their cases were still before the courts. You have chosen to single out this President- Elect

@officialABAT this time around because the candidate you and your other religious brethren openly supported lost the election and you all feel humiliated and embarrassed. All issues raised against the victory of @officialABAT in court now (whether it is 25% votes in FCT or the fake drug issue, etc), are not different from issues raised against previous Presidents-elect because basically the complaints have always been that the declared victor did not win the election fair and square or was not qualified to contest the election. No disqualifying issue against a candidate can be greater than other disqualifying issues since a single issue can decide a case against a President-elect.

So, why all the fuse now? It has always been our electoral template since 1999 for the declared winners to be sworn into office in order TO AVOID A VACUUM and not to foist an unconstitutional contraption on the system whist the cases are in court.

My dear daddy, may I respectfully advise that going forward, you and your brethren may consider stepping back from the deep and murky waters of politics and desist from descending into the arena of political conflicts where your children in your congregations find themselves on different sides of political divides, so it would be unfair to them for you to openly take sides. The embarrassment to the Body of Christ is getting too much and no politician is worth dragging this dignified body into unnecessary political controversy. Is this too much to ask, daddy?”