Jagajaga Reloaded: Eedris Abdulkareem Replies Buhari’s Minister, Keyamo

Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem Ajenifuja, has replied the Minister of State for Labour and Productivity, Festus Keyamo for claiming he resorted to blackmail after failing to extort money from him to support President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The rapper had on Tuesday dropped ‘Jaga Jaga’ reloaded, a remix of his 2002 hit song of the same title. But, this time around, he featured Mr. Raw & Madarocker.

In the song, Abdulkareem reflected on last year’s #EndSARS protest, the numerous challenges confronting the country and how the leaders have failed to tackle them headlong.

He also aimed a dig at Keyamo, alleging that the minister has ditched his characteristic vocal criticism of societal ills because he has “joined cabal to chop money.”

“Where Festus Keyamo sef? He don dey chop with cabal o,” he could be heard singing with a picture of the minister.

Keyamo in a tweet on Saturday however claimed Eedris had approached him in 2018 when he was named Director of Strategic Communications for Buhari Campaign Organisation and wanted to join the group for a fee.

He claimed he told the artist that he had no budget for such.

The minister added that the singer thereafter begged him for a loan of over three million naira to pay for his hotel bills in Abuja and also cater for his sick mother.

Keyamo also disclosed that the musician pleaded with him to introduce him to Abubakar Malami, Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), and Rotimi Amaechi, Minister of Transportation, to pursue his course of “getting into the system”.

The minister alleged that his refusal to honour Abdulkareem’s request led the singer to endorse Atiku Abubakar, presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for the 2019 general elections and to become a critic of Buhari’s government after the polls.

Narrating his side of the event, Eedris in a statement (with some pidgin) on Sunday said, “When he [Keyamo] was in prison, I stood by him, I fought (Olusegun) Obasanjo on behalf of all the comrades in prison. I released Jagajaga. When my mother was dying, I reached out to a brother, or one I thought was a brother and a comrade. Could he have helped, yes, did he help, NO…such was the wickedness of his heart that he munched and kept personal details for three years…real Hallmark of a Blackmailer!

“In 2018, I still thought the man was a comrade. Thought he could effect change in the government he served. Then he joined the cabal, he became inner caucus and held the steering wheel spiralling Nigeria into doom. He joined to crush the revolution of the youths, he joined the cabal. The cabal which mowed down our youths at LEKKI TOLL GATE.

“With a vexed spirit, I went again to the studio for ‘Jagajaga Reloaded’ and the Blackmailer went to town. The cabal is awoken. The cabal is hit. The cabal is in pain. The cabal is failing. The cabal will fall.

“The Blackmailer said I recorded a song for Buhari. The said song is titled: ‘Obasanjo Write Buhari Letter…’ 

“Issues raised on Jagajaga Reloaded are facts. Nigeria never had it so bad. The Jagajaga has taken a gargantuan dimension. We must keep asking questions. We must ask the cabal questions.

“Festus Keyamo don join the cabal. He is in pains because his next ambition is to be governor of Delta State. Perhaps to localise grand looting, terrorism, murdering and raping of our citizens, kidnapping, which his cabal have romanticised and packaged as banditry, and sundry other mis-governance. This is why Jagajaga ti get e! Festus Keyamo na cabal.”