While congratulatory messages continued to pour in from well-meaning individuals for veteran journalist, Festus Adedayo, who was appointed as spokesperson to the Senate President, Senator Ahmed Lawan, prominent members of President Muhammadu Buhari’s kitchen Cabinet and high-ranking APC officials are not pleased with the new appointment, DAILY NIGERIAN has reliably gathered.
A credible source in the Presidency, who will not disclose his name for obvious reasons, affirmed that Mr Adedayo possesses the requisite experience and knowledge to head the media team of Senate President, being a journalist and consummate writer of international standing.
However, they claim he (Festus Adedayo), woefully fail the integrity test of the APC-led central government.
The source told DAILY NIGERIAN that: “Though, many people applauded the Senate President for appointing a media icon and celebrated journalist as his spokesperson, his selection was a sore thumb for some of us in the Presidency as well as the APC party machinery for many reasons. Adedayo cannot be trusted because of his acerbic criticism of the Buhari administration in the recent past and he is not a card-carrying member of APC.
“He is not known to all of us in this campaign team and we wonder why he should be appointed to come and chop the meal after we had fought hard as cooks in preparing the sumptuous meals.”
The source added that barring any unforeseen development and intervention, those pushing for the replacement of the newly appointed Senate President’s spokesperson may have their way.
DAILY NIGERIAN further learnt that other appointments made by the Senate President included Betty Okoroh, Special Assistant on Administration; Mohammed Isa, Special Assistant Media and Publicity; Olu Onemola, Special Assistant on New Media; Tope Brown Olowoyeye, Senior Legislative Aide on Media and Publicity Photography and; Ogechukwu E. Nwankwoh, Legislative Aide on Schedules and Events.
Meanwhile, the Buhari Media Organisation (BMO) has congratulated Festus Adedayo on his appointment as Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Senate President, and urged him to demonstrate loyalty and integrity on the job.
In a statement signed by its chairman, Niyi Akinsiju, and secretary, Cassidy Madueke, BMO said Mr Adedayo’s appointment was surprising given his antecedents and his undisguised contempt for the All Progressives Congress, APC, and President Muhammadu Buhari.
“In fact, we’re surprised that Adedayo would consider, let alone accept, an appointment under the APC after all he had done to denigrate and diminish the party before, during and after the February elections.
“This was a man who railed unceasingly at the APC and its Presidential candidate. This is the prophet of doom who predicted the imminent disintegration of Nigeria and that Buhari might be the last President of Nigeria”, the group said.
BMO recalled that the new SA Media to the Senate President had served two People Democratic Party, PDP, governors in the South-west and South-east and wondered when he became a “born-again progressive”.
“We hereby advice the new media aide to demonstrate his loyalty and commitment to the ruling party by immediately going to his Ward to register with the APC and become a card-carrying member of the party.
The group also urged him “to use his office to ensure that the bond between his new boss and President Buhari remains unbroken. We know for a fact that the Senate President has avowed his love and loyalty to President Buhari and has pledged a harmonious working relationship between the National Assembly and the President.
“Nothing must happen to strain or put that relationship in jeopardy”, the group added.
A seasoned journalist and public commentator with an acerbic pen and disdain for injustice and social disorder, Mr Adedayo graduated from University of Lagos with a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy; Master’s degree in Political Science and PhD in Political Communication, University of Ibadan all with distinctions.
He had served as spokesperson to Governors of Enugu, Ondo and Oyo States under the platform of PDP and APC respectively.
