Popular lawyer and activist, Festus Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, had called out Eedris Abdulkareem, a Nigerian musician, tagging him a blackmailer and hustler.

Keyamo who is the minister of state for Labour and Productivity was reacting to a new song, ‘jagajaga reloaded’, by Eedris in which the songster wondered where Keyamo is in the Buhari government, chorusing “where Festus Keyamo sef? He don dey chop with cabal o”.

Keyamo said the song was a product of malice and blackmail. He narrated how Eedris had through Keyamo sought to ‘obtain’ money from the Buhari Campaign Organisation ahead of the general elections but failed.

According to Keyamo, who also published text messages between himself and Eedris to justify his claim of blackmail, Eedris is singing against him and Buhari because they could not meet his demand for money. Below is Keyamo’s story as told by him:

1.) Eedris Abdulkareem just released a song, ‘jagajaga reloaded’, where he waxed the following lyrics, “where Festus Keyamo sef? He don dey chop with cabal o”. I laughed out so loud and even danced to the rhythm too. But there’s a small story behind this poor attempt at blackmail

2.) In 2018, when I was named the Director of Strategic Communications for Buhari Campaign Organisation Eedris waxed a song in support of Buhari & wanted to join us, albeit for a fee. He then made desperate efforts to see me through text messages from his phone no. 07019691772👇

3.) When I finally met with him, I listened to the songs, but told him I had no budget for such or any for that matter. I explained that my job was voluntary. It was the same thing I told so many other so-called activists-by-day-and-hustlers-at-night who secretly approached me

4.) He then switched to the fact that he wanted a loan to pay for his hotel bills to the tune of N1.3 m & to cater for his ‘sick mum’. That was already running into more than N3m. However, one govt functionary called me to say he told him another story that his child was sick

5.) He begged me to introduce him to Malami (AGF), Amaechi & the SGF and to paint a good ‘PR’ for him. He pledged that he was with us in the campaign with his whole ‘body and soul’. But at this point, I knew he was a desperate hustler who could embarrass me, so I ghosted him 👇👇

6.) Shortly after this episode when he could not penetrate the system to get the money he so desperately wanted, he then endorsed Atiku and called Buhari a ‘fraudster’. See one of the links here… m.guardian.ng/life/eedris-ab

…. But we decided to ignore his weak voice of opposition

7.) After our victory, he went berserk and joined every protests against the same Buhari whom he wanted to serve with his whole ‘body and soul’, but needed money to do so. He has been mentioning my name specifically at occasions as if I am the cause of all his troubles in life

8.) Now, the latest is the ‘jagajaga reloaded’ that he has waxed to vent his frustrations at not getting into the system. His reference to me as ‘chopping’ reminds me of the gaffe of then Minister Sunday Afolabi who infamously said Bola Ige was invited to Govt to ‘come and chop’!

9.) I wish to assure Eedris and any who think being in Govt is tantamount to ‘chopping’, that for some of us (I can’t speak for others) it is just an honour to serve our country and an attempt to move from armchair criticism to a real participant in order to make a difference.

10.) Finally, we can all sit back and enjoy the ‘jagajaga reloaded’. One of the objectives of the song is to call me out since I ghosted him for attempted extortion – he has now succeeded. Another objective is to help promote the song by my reaction – that he has also achieved!