Festus Keyamo, who played an important role in the just-concluded Buhari era has just proven his unmatched worth, as a key personality in the Nation.
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 higher authorities.
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 being egged on to call his legal prowess into question.
For some years now, the gentleman has unraveled his worth in the most unimaginable fashion. He served the Buhari administration as Minister of State, in the Ministry of Labour and Productivity. Keyamo went into public service with the reputation of a SAN and criminal prosecutor who took on many corrupt persons for the EFCC. In Lagos, where he began his career, he was known as a human rights activist trained by the legendary Gani Fawenhinmi.
His political career started in 2018 when he was appointed Spokesperson for the re-election of President Buhari, the same role he served at the Tinubu Campaign, though he was still serving in government. But as the 2022 campaign season became more and more intense, Keyamo became more and more inflammable. He boasted ceaselessly on TV that he’s the best prosecutor in the country.
One surprising fact about Keyamo is that he has no notable ‘godfather’, yet 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.
Surprisingly, Keyamo has enjoyed immense favour in the sight of two successive administrations, as a Minister of State, for Labour and Productivity and as the pioneer minister for a newly carved ministry. This is not always the case in Nigeria.
He was born on January 21, 1970, at Ughelli, a town in Delta State southern Nigeria but his father hails from Effurun, a city in Delta. Keyamo had his primary education at Model Primary School and secondary education at Government College, Ughelli, where he obtained the West African School Certificate in 1986. He later proceeded to Ambrose Alli University at Ekpoma, in Edo State southern Nigeria where he received a Bachelor of Law degree in 1992 and was called to the Nigerian Bar in December 1993. 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.
Perhaps his years as a fearless social crusader in politics must be working for him this time. He began his legal career in 1993 at Gani Fawehinmi’s Chambers in Lagos State, southwestern Nigeria. After he spent two years at Gani Fawehinmi’s chambers, he left to establish Festus Keyamo Chambers.
He was counsel to the leader of the Niger-Delta Peoples’ Volunteer Force, Mujahid Dokubo-Asari in his trial for treasonable felony and lead counsel in the treason trial of Ralph Uwazuruike, the leader of the Movement For The Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB). Keyamo was also a counsel in the murder of Bola Ige.
In 2008, he took the Federal Government of Nigeria to court over illegal appointments of service chiefs. 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. It however took 5 years for the court to set aside the Armed Forces Modification Order of 2008 (purportedly made under Section 315) 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.
In 2017, Stephanie Otobo, a Canadian-based singer and stripper, accused Apostle Suleman Johnson, through her lawyer Festus Keyamo, of failing to keep a marriage promise made to her after allegedly having several sexual relationships with her.
Apart from his progression in his legal career, Keyamo also made progress in politics. 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.
Keyamo is a man who has pitched his name on the golden sands of time, having been the official spokesperson for two Presidential campaigns. Recall he was appointed 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.
One obvious truth is that no one can downplay the pedigree of this man, who by a dint of hard work, emerged as Chief Fawehinmi’s right hand man in legal activism before venturing into the political arena.
Information has it that 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, and heroic!
He has attained this enviable heights in his political and professional callings by dint of hard work and an uncommon doggedness, which stands him out.
Olamide Adeniji is a member of the editorial team of TheScript Newspaper
