Coalition: ‘These Old Guards Want To Take Peter Obi For A Ride But Don’t Want To Give Him Presidential

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has alleged that key figures in the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) are merely exploiting Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, without genuine intentions to grant him the coalition’s presidential ticket.

In a statement on Wednesday, Keyamo warned that the coalition stands to lose Obi’s formidable support base if it fails to back him as its standard bearer. He argued that the All Progressives Congress (APC) remains unperturbed by these developments, emphasizing that the ruling party has grown stronger since the 2023 elections, while the opposition has become increasingly fragmented.

Keyamo stated, “The old, crafty politicians want to ride on Obi’s popularity but are unwilling to offer him the presidential ticket. This is simply Atiku’s project. If they deny Obi the ticket, they lose his supporters—it’s that straightforward. How can someone who secured two regions—South-East and South-South—be reduced to running mate to someone who only won the North-East?”

He added that when the dust settles, it will become clear that while the PDP and Labour Party have weakened, the ADC has gained little more than a shadow of substance, and the APC has lost nothing.

Commenting on the influx of top opposition figures into the ADC, Keyamo asserted that this realignment has paradoxically fortified the APC ahead of the 2027 polls. He argued that by law, political players cannot belong to multiple parties, branding the coalition an unconstitutional mix that amounts to abandoning their former platforms.

“The bulk of the old PDP guard, sidelined by emerging younger forces, now gather under the ADC banner. It’s a congregation of ‘former this’ and ‘former that,’ ultimately a faction loyal to Atiku, desperately eyeing the 2027 ticket,” he said.

Keyamo dismissed any threat posed by this coalition to the APC, noting that some of those joining the ADC are APC members who either opposed President Bola Tinubu in 2023 or lost their constituencies.

“It doesn’t weaken us at all. In fact, it helps the APC by completely removing elements that were undermining the party from within,” he added.