Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has dismissed the newly unveiled African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, calling it a mix of old PDP power players and APC members who opposed President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 elections.
Reacting on Wednesday via a post on X (formerly Twitter), Keyamo said the move to the ADC is a clear sign of desperation and internal crisis within the opposition, especially the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to him, it is illegal for anyone to operate under more than one political party. He said those who openly declared for ADC have effectively abandoned their former parties and risk being disqualified from future elections.
“What happened today with the so-called coalition joining ADC has only made APC stronger ahead of 2027,” Keyamo wrote. “It’s obvious these are the old PDP leaders who’ve lost control of the party. They’re now hiding under the ADC, hoping to grab the presidential ticket.”
He also accused the coalition of using the name of Labour Party’s Peter Obi without any intention of handing him the presidential ticket.
“They want his votes but won’t give him the ticket. This is Atiku’s show, plain and simple,” he said, referring to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
Keyamo argued that the defection of a few APC members who opposed Tinubu is not a loss to the party. Instead, he said it’s like removing “a germ eating the cola nut from within.”
He added that since the 2023 general elections, the ruling APC has become stronger, while the opposition is now fragmented and less effective.
The ADC coalition unveiled on Wednesday includes former Senate President David Mark, ex-Osun State governor Rauf Aregbesola, and Atiku Abubakar. But critics like Keyamo say the coalition lacks direction and credibility.
