Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has downplayed the proposed opposition alliance between Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and others ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Keyamo stated that President Bola Tinubu remains politically strong, especially in the North, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) holds firm structures and multiple governors.
“We have our structures in the North. We’re not shaken,” he declared.
Keyamo also argued that three now-weakening factors largely drove Peter Obi’s 2023 momentum:
- Being the only major Christian candidate,
- Southeast solidarity, and
- Youth-driven support from the Obidients.
“Those dynamics are no longer there. If Obi becomes Atiku’s running mate, it weakens him further,” Keyamo said.
The proposed coalition, under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), hopes to merge Atiku and Obi’s 2023 votes, which collectively surpassed Tinubu’s tally by over four million. But Keyamo dismissed the move, saying the alliance lacks demographic depth and voter traction.
“They’re combining numbers, but not adding value,” he concluded.
Tinubu is expected to seek re-election in 2027, following Nigeria’s North-South power rotation tradition, having succeeded northern leader Muhammadu Buhari in 2023.
