Yakubu Dogara, a former House of Representatives speaker, and Festus Keyamo, a minister of state for labour, have been exchanging sharp words.
Since Dogara criticised President Muhammadu Buhari for affirming his allegiance to Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the candidate for president of the ruling All Progressives Congress, the two have been engaged in a Twitter argument (APC).
In a tweet sent out early on Sunday, Keyamo, a representative for the Tinubu-Shettima Campaign Council, called Dogara a "political prostitute, drifter, and back-stabber."
“My brother and law schoolmate, @YakubDogara, this tweet is beneath you. You are actually pained by the support of PMB for @officialABAT, two leaders who have stayed true to their beliefs and causes, unlike the political prostitute, wanderer & back-stabber that you’ve always been,” Keyamo wrote.
Responding to the tweet, Dogara said, “My brother, I have a name for you but because it’s not a good one, I won’t say it as a cost of friendship. Yes, we were mates at Law School but I am waiting for you to win a councilorship election first so we can be mates in politics. Learn to punch below your weight category.”
In a fresh response, Keyamo, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), wrote: “My brother, it is sad you think every one must be rated by-elections won and lost. You’ve just insulted millions of Nigerians in their various fields of endeavour. Let me remind you that I’ve reached the height of our profession & you must learn to respect your senior at the bar!”
Dogara had recently dumped the ruling party over the Muslim-Muslim ticket. He subsequently endorsed former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).