Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has accused former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and ex-Senate President David Mark of planning to exploit Peter Obi’s popularity in the newly formed opposition coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
Reacting on X (formerly Twitter), Keyamo claimed the coalition, now anchored by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is merely a front for Atiku’s faction of the PDP to secure the presidential ticket.
“This is just Atiku’s PDP faction seeking the 2027 ticket, nothing more,” Keyamo wrote.
He further alleged that Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 candidate, is being positioned as a placeholder to attract votes from his strongholds in the South-East and South-South, but will be sidelined when it matters.
“They want Obi’s votes, not to give him the ticket,” he said.
Keyamo warned that excluding Obi from the presidential ticket could alienate millions of his loyal supporters and harm the coalition’s chances.
He also raised legal red flags, noting that members belonging to multiple political parties may face disqualification under electoral law.
The opposition coalition was officially launched on July 1, with David Mark named interim chairman and Rauf Aregbesola as secretary.
