Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has expressed skepticism about the potential alliance between Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of the 2027 presidential election. In a recent interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Keyamo argued that such an alliance would be demographically flawed and unlikely to succeed. According to Keyamo, the demographic factors that contributed to Obi’s momentum in the 2023 elections would collapse if he were to contest under an alliance where he is not the main candidate.
Keyamo identified three key demographic factors that delivered Obi’s support in 2023: the Christian vote, the South-East region’s support for an Igbo candidate, and the Obidients’ backing of a younger candidate. However, if Obi were to be paired with Atiku as the presidential candidate, these demographic factors would likely collapse. Keyamo believes that Obi’s support base would be compromised, particularly in the north, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) has strong structures and governors in place.
Keyamo emphasized that President Bola Tinubu and the APC remain politically grounded in the north, which would make it challenging for Obi to penetrate the region. He expressed confidence in the APC’s structures and governors in the north, suggesting that they would be difficult for any opposition candidate to overcome.
Keyamo’s comments suggest that the APC is well-positioned to maintain its stronghold in the north, which could be a significant factor in the 2027 presidential election.Keyamo questioned the opposition’s strategy of trying to bring together Atiku and Obi to challenge the APC’s dominance. He believes that such an alliance would not be enough to overcome the APC’s stronghold in the north and other parts of the country. Keyamo’s comments suggest that the opposition’s efforts to build a strong coalition may not be enough to challenge the APC’s dominance in the 2027 presidential election.
