Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has taken a swipe at opposition figures and parties, declaring that any alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi ahead of the 2027 general elections is bound to collapse.
Keyamo made the remarks during an interview on Sunday Politics, a flagship political programme aired by Channels Television.
He described the much-speculated Atiku-Obi alliance as “dead on arrival,” arguing that the political base that supported Obi in 2023 would not follow him into an alliance with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“The moment Obi aligns with Atiku, he loses the moral ground he stood on in 2023,” Keyamo said.
“The passion of his supporters, especially the youths, was based on a belief that he represented a clean break from the old order. That illusion will die immediately he goes back to that same old order.”
Keyamo also launched a blistering attack on the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing their campaign style as outdated and deceitful. He accused the party of deploying “expired 419 tactics” to mislead Nigerians.
“The ADC’s approach to politics is like trying to use expired drugs to cure a new disease. Nigerians are more politically enlightened now. Those tactics won’t work anymore,” he said.
The minister, who served as the spokesman for President Bola Tinubu’s 2023 campaign, insisted that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains firmly in control of the northern region, despite attempts by the opposition to create inroads.
“Peter Obi cannot penetrate the North. The APC has deep-rooted structures across the region that cannot be dismantled by media hype or social media noise,” he asserted.
According to Keyamo, the APC’s political machinery remains active, tested, and trusted in delivering electoral victory, especially in the north where voting patterns are driven more by grassroots mobilization than online narratives.
While dismissing the credibility of opposition strategies, the aviation minister urged Nigerians to remain patient with the Tinubu administration, assuring that ongoing reforms both in aviation and other sectors would yield results.
Keyamo’s latest comments come amid speculation about possible mergers or realignments among opposition parties ahead of the 2027 polls, with some reports suggesting that Atiku and Obi may revive talks to present a united front against the APC.
