The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has accused leading figures within the newly formed opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of using Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, as a political pawn without any genuine plan to hand him the coalition’s 2027 presidential ticket.
Speaking in a statement issued on Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Keyamo asserted that Obi is being strategically positioned by the coalition merely to draw voter support, especially from his loyal base, without any intention of giving him the opportunity to fly their presidential flag.
According to Naijapunchnews, the senior lawyer and cabinet member warned that failure to grant Peter Obi the presidential ticket would alienate his supporters, thereby weakening the coalition's influence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
“The old political tacticians are merely using Peter Obi to lure voters. They don’t plan to give him the presidential ticket this entire show is simply Atiku’s doing,” Keyamo stated.
He questioned the logic behind making Peter Obi, who won the South-East and South-South regions in the 2023 election, play second fiddle to someone like Atiku Abubakar, who only managed to secure the North-East.
“How does it make sense to offer the running mate position to the candidate who had more regional wins than the proposed flag bearer?” Keyamo asked rhetorically.
He argued that the opposition stands to lose far more than they anticipate if they attempt to sideline Obi in favour of a recycled candidate. According to him, the supposed unity under the ADC is already a fragile arrangement that would soon crumble under the weight of internal contradictions.
APC Has Grown Stronger, Opposition Has Fragmented — Keyamo
Keyamo maintained that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has grown more cohesive and resilient since the last election cycle, unlike the opposition parties which, he said, have splintered and become directionless.
“Let them carry on with their constitutional rights to associate. We in the APC are focused on governance. The opposition, on the other hand, is fractured and increasingly desperate,” he added.
He described the realignment of top opposition figures under the ADC as a welcome development that inadvertently boosts the ruling APC.
“Their movement into the ADC amounts to a formal desertion of their original political homes. And legally, one cannot simultaneously belong to or operate from multiple political parties. It’s actually a basis for disqualification under electoral law,” he warned.
Cross-Party Movement is Atiku’s Faction in Disguise
Keyamo described the ADC coalition as nothing more than a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), led by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whose main objective is to secure the 2027 presidential ticket.
He claimed that the PDP’s older political elite have lost their grip on the party and have now formed a parallel platform under the guise of a coalition.
“What we’re seeing is a crowd of former PDP chieftains ‘former this’ and ‘former that’ trying to remain politically relevant under a different name. This isn’t a new movement; it’s just an old PDP faction dressing up as something fresh,” Keyamo argued.
‘Deserters in APC Were a Liability’ — Keyamo
Addressing the presence of a few former APC members in the coalition, Keyamo downplayed their significance. He claimed that some of them either worked against President Tinubu in the 2023 elections or lost their political base to opposition candidates.
“These individuals were already politically irrelevant within the APC. Their departure only strengthens the party. It’s like removing a parasite that was weakening the host,” he said metaphorically.
Keyamo reiterated that the APC remains unshaken by the coalition’s activities and will continue focusing on delivering its governance mandate, while the opposition scrambles to stay politically afloat.
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