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Festus Keyamo, The ever rising star – Dapo Okubanjo

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A journalist and public affairs analyst, Dapo Okubanjo, has showered accolades to Festus Egwarewa Adeniyi Keyamo, a social crusader in politics who held two cabinet positions at different times in the Muhammadu Buhari years and now a member of the cabinet of President Bola Tinubu, from Abuja.

According to Okubanjo, “it is not always the case in Nigeria for an individual to be considered worthy of federal cabinet positions in two successive administrations” .

“He has transited from being a Minister of State in the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and later at the Ministry of Labour and Employment in four years to a substantive Minister of Aviation with the added responsibility of overseeing the newly created Aerospace Development arm of the ministry”.

Okubanjo said Keyamo is a man who had been as constant as the Northern star as a social and legal activist with a rich history of activism which dates back to his early years as a lawyer in the chambers of the late legal luminary Chief Gani Fawehinmi at the peak of pro-democracy agitation over the annulment of the June 12 1993 election by the then military administration.

Within one year of joining arguably the most activist law firm of the 1990s, young Festus became one of the lighting rods of legal activism and had an excellent performance in many landmark cases that earned him the award of best lawyer in the Gani Fawehinmi Chambers in March 1994.

But today, his credentials are being questioned by some younger elements because of his decision to take up the position of Director of Strategic Communications/Spokesman for the second term campaign of President Buhari and the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2019 as well as a similar role for the Tinubu/ Shettima Presidential Campaign Council

What many find amusing is the manner opposition elements especially the younger ones have opted to play politics by downplaying the pedigree of a man, who by a dint of hardwork, emerged as Chief Fawehinmi’s right hand man in legal activism before venturing into the political arena.

While the new minister may have decided to take the misleading narrative in his strides, it won’t be out of place to inform Keyamo’s traducers that sometime in 1997, he formed a group known as Youth Against Misguided Youths as part of efforts to direct thousands of youths against the self-succession bid of the late General Sani Abacha being championed by some youths. This is instructive,if not ironic!

So this is a man with a history and is also part of the nation’s pro-democracy history. He understands what it means to fight for what is right and has been audacious in his face-off with the authorities long before many of those calling him names came on the scene.

His crusade for justice, human rights and fight against corruption has led to several run-ins with security agencies, arrests and court charges which were all later dismissed.

Little wonder many Nigerians who had followed Keyamo’s trajectory since at least 1994 would have been shocked to see millennials been egged on to call his legal prowess to question.

But let me cite just one example of how Festus Keyamo’s legal activism altered governance in the country.

From the Obasanjo years to the Jonathan era, it was normal for Presidents to unilaterally name Service Chiefs who then assume duty immediately but Keyamo felt something was amiss and took the matter before a Federal High Court in 2008.

It however took 5 years for the court to set aside the Armed Forces Modification Order of 2008 (purportedly made under Section 315 [2) of the Constitution) and ruled that the President must seek the confirmation of the two chambers of the National Assembly for newly appointed Service Chiefs.

It is very much likely that online trolls who are encouraged to question Keyamo’s legal prowess have no clue about this immense contribution to governance in Nigeria.

Still in his fifties, he is in his thirtieth year of active legal practice, twenty eight (28) of which have been spent running his own law firm, which has three offices in Lagos, Abuja and Warri as well as liaison offices in many states with over 23 lawyers and more than 30 para-legal staff.

So in local parlance, he effectively has another address where his crusade for social justice continues to gather steam inspite of his foray into public office in the last few years.


Without any notable ‘godfather’, he has risen from the streets of a small town in Delta State and literally lifted himself by his bootlaces to become a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, a Commander of the Order of the Niger, an International Arbitrator and now a two-term Minister of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

He has achieved all these by sheer grit, dint of hardwork and an uncommon doggedness not found amongst his peers.

Now having cut his teeth in previous cabinet positions at a lower level, Festus Keyamo is set to prove that he can excel on a bigger stage and only a few are bigger than the cabinet role President Tinubu has thrust on him.

Bet against him failing at your own peril.


Dapo Okubanjo can be reached via dokubanjo@yahoo.co.uk.

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CASER Launches Prince Nduka Obaigbena National Secondary School Essay Competition

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The Citizens Advocacy for Social and Economic Rights (CASER) is proud to announce the launch of the National Secondary School Essay Competition in honour of Prince Nduka Obaigbena, Chairman of the ThisDay/ARISE Group.

This is disclosed in a statement issued by Otunba Gbenga Onayiga , Chairman, Board of Trustees, CASER, and Frank Tietie, Esq Executive Director, CASER.

The maiden edition of the competition will be exclusive to students of Government College Ughelli (GCU), the alma mater of Prince Obaigbena.

It reads:

” This initiative celebrates his enduring contributions to the advancement of excellence in journalism and broadcasting across the African continent.

The annual competition aims to inspire secondary school students across Nigeria to develop strong writing skills, critical thinking, rigorous research, and a deep commitment to truth, the core principles of responsible journalism.

In an age increasingly challenged by misinformation, online abuse, and the erosion of ethical communication, this competition aims to guide young minds back to the values of integrity, clarity, and accuracy in expression.

Essay Review and Judging Panel

Submissions will be judged exclusively by *Professor Abiodun Adeniyi, a foremost Professor of Communication and Registrar of Baze University, Abuja.

*Professor Sunny Awhefada , a distinguished scholar from the Department of English and Literary Studies at Delta State University, Abraka, developed the evaluation criteria.

Prizes and Date of Award

The top three winning essays will receive the following cash prizes:•

1st Prize: ₦500,000 (Five Hundred Thousand Naira)•

2nd Prize: ₦300,000 (Three Hundred Thousand Naira)•

3rd Prize: ₦200,000 (Two Hundred Thousand Naira)Winners will be announced and awarded on 14 July 2025, coinciding with the birthday anniversary of Prince Nduka Obaigbena.

Inaugural Edition: Government College Ughelli.

The maiden edition of the competition will be exclusive to students of Government College Ughelli (GCU), the alma mater of Prince Obaigbena.

To ensure a smooth rollout, a Local Organising Committee (LOC) comprising members of the GCU Old Boys has been constituted as follows:

1. Mike Akoreh – Chairman

2. Efe Onomake – Alternate Chairman

3. Charles (Charlie) Umuakpero – Secretary

4. Oghenevwoke Edjere – Member

5. Sunny Ahanmisi – Member

6.Anthony Mukoro -Member.

The committee will commence its duties immediately to coordinate all activities and ensure the successful implementation of the competition.”

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2027: Hurdles Before The Coalition, By Emeka Monye

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The 2027 presidential election in Nigeria is shaping up to be a crucial contest between the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and a potential coalition of opposition parties. Several hurdles need to be overcome for the opposition coalition to succeed.

The political class is already preparing for this quadrennial event, holding consultations, meetings, negotiations, among other contending factors.

The ruling party, The All Progressive Congress, appears to be the most beautiful bride at the moment as members of other opposition parties have been courting the party, in a gale of defections, in what many political pundits and analysts described as a political tsunami.

While the APC seems to be enjoying the foray of defections by other party members into their fold, the main opposition party, The Peoples Democractic Party, PDP, appears to have lost its steam in the run of play.

The once dominant party is plagued by a series of internal crises which many political analysts believe will be the party’s undoings.

The once largest political party in Africa and oldest in Nigeria since it was created in 1998 by some elder statesmen, is now a shadow of itself, living in past glory and trying to win its way back to national prominence.

Already, some past and present leaders of the party have been consulting, negotiating, discussing, even though they have agreed yet, all in a bit to wrestle power from the stronghold of the Bola Tinubu-Led APC at the centre.

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Former Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 General elections, Peter Obi, former Governor of Kaduna state, Nasir El-Rufai, among other bigwigs, are believed to be in talks with one another of how to build a possible coalition to edge the ruling APC in the power game.

Although, no concrete decision has been reached by the major actors, their negotiations and their inability to reach a consensus remain critical factors that might endanger the birth of a viable coalition.

Factors like who will step down for who as the realignment begins, remains a major issue, taking into consideration their individual experiences, exposures, skills, knowledge, capacities and egos.

Except this issue is resolved in the run up to the 2027 presidential polls, it will be a mirage for them to unseat the Tinubu-Led government.

While the running party is busy strategizing ahead of the 2027 presidential polls, the other parties are still grappling with their internal crisis.

Some analysts believe that Atiku’s past experience as Vice President under the regime of Olusegun Obasanjo, might give him an edge, while others think Peter Obi’s popularity in the South could bring a geographical balance to the ticket.

For them to form a strong force against the APC, then, they must find common platform and agree on a candidate, which might be challenging given their different ideologies and interest.

Other factors which some political analysts have highlighted that may pose as a stumbling block agents the coalition is the timing. The time between and 2027 is quite a short time for the coalition to gather and make the desired impact.

This of course, is no brainer. Any merger of alliance must be arranged within a reasonable timeframe to be effective. Also, the coalition will have to convince the Nigerian voting public of its purpose and demonstrate a clear vision for the country’s future, particularly in the area of addressing the economic misfortunes of majority of the people. Another hurdle that would be staring the coalition in the face remains the issue of power rotation.

While the south believe it’s that turn to complete their second term in 2027, the north on the other hand argue that they have been short-changed in the governance structure of the country – in terms of number of years – since the return of democracy in 1999.

Out of the total 26 years, the north has ruled for 11 years, with the south 15 years. The issue remains a key factor that would affect the coalition to birth.

The coalition, must as a matter of urgency, decency decide on this unwritten agreement about rotating power between the North and the South, potentially present a southern for one term to allow the South to complete its own two terms for the office of the president.

In conclusion, the coalition, if it really wants to win power in 2027, must make a compelling case for itself, highlighting its unique strengths and vision, rather than just criticizing the incumbent.

It needs to differentiate itself and show Nigerians that it has a better alternative.

Emeka Monye Is A Journalist And Works With ARISE NEWS.

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Mauritania’s Tah succeeds Adesina as 9th AfDB President

Tah was elected to succeed Adesina after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

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Mauritania’s Sidi Ould Tah has been elected as the ninth president of the African Development Bank Group (AfDB) as Nigeria’s Akinwumi Adesina prepares to bow out.

The Bank announced his election on its website on Thursday.

Adesina’s 10-year tenure will end this year and Tah is expected to assume office on September 1, 2025.

Tah was elected to succeed Adesina after rounds of voting conducted by the AfDB Board of Governors during the Bank’s Annual Meetings held in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

The Board comprises finance ministers and central bank governors from the Bank’s 81 member countries.

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