News

2027: Keyamo Issues Warning — Give Peter Obi the Presidential Ticket or Risk Losing His Supporters

Published by Tope Fakinlede on July 5th, 2025.

2027: Keyamo Issues Warning — Give Peter Obi the Presidential Ticket or Risk Losing His Supporters

Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has issued a stark warning to the newly formed opposition coalition. He insists that unless Peter Obi is handed the presidential ticket for 2027, the coalition stands to lose the crucial backing of Obi’s supporters.

Keyamo responded to the coalition’s recent move to adopt the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as its political platform. He argued that instead of uniting the opposition, this decision actually plays into the hands of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

According to Keyamo, the coalition’s shift to the ADC platform signals a legal and political break from their former parties — a move he believes could jeopardize their eligibility to contest elections if they continue juggling loyalties.

He went further, describing the formation of this ADC-led alliance as evidence of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s disintegration. Keyamo claims that veteran PDP leaders have been sidelined by younger figures, resulting in a coalition dominated by ex-PDP members scrambling for relevance.

He portrayed the coalition as essentially a faction of the PDP under former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, searching for a new vehicle to pursue the presidency.

Dismissing the presence of a few APC defectors within the coalition, Keyamo labeled them as either opponents of President Bola Tinubu in the 2023 elections or politicians who lost their seats. He believes their departure is insignificant and even advantageous to the APC, as it rids the party of dissenting voices.

A particular point of concern for Keyamo is Peter Obi’s role in the coalition. He accuses some key players of trying to leverage Obi’s popularity without offering him a meaningful leadership position.

“If they deny Obi the presidential ticket, they risk losing the large voter base that supported him, especially in the South-East and South-South regions where he performed strongly,” Keyamo said.

He added, “The veteran politicians want to use Obi for his votes but keep the presidency for Atiku. That’s why David Mark is interim chairman — insiders know what that means. But ignoring Obi’s claim will cost the coalition dearly. How can someone who won two regions be relegated to a running mate behind someone who only carried one?”

The coalition officially endorsed the ADC platform at a high-profile meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, ending months of speculation. In the new structure, former Senate President David Mark was appointed interim National Chairman, while former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola took the role of interim National Secretary.

The alliance brings together key figures like Atiku Abubakar, Nasir El-Rufai, Peter Obi, and Rotimi Amaechi, all poised to mount a serious challenge against President Tinubu’s bid fo

r re-election in 2027.