Festus Keyamo, the minister of aviation and aerospace development, acknowledged that while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is challenging the All Progressives Congress (APC), it will not make a significant impact in the 2027 election.
In an appearance with Channels Television’s Sunday Politics program, Keyamo reportedly stated this while discounting the potential of Peter Obi, the former governor of Anambra State, to reach the north and win votes similarly to those of Bola Tinubu, the current president.
Keyamo stated that Tinubu and his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), have established political structures in the north, unlike the ADC.
While listing the three factors he felt worked in favour of Peter Obi in 2023, Keyamo noted that the attempt to make the Labour Party (LP) 2023 presidential candidate a deputy to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, would collapse the factors.
He said, “They are going nowhere in terms of demography.
“I like what is happening; they are putting us on our toes; it is going to make us work harder, but the numbers are not looking good for them.
“This so-called ADC, in 2027, what they are working on is to bring Peter Obi and Atiku (Abubakar) together to join those numbers and beat our over eight million votes.
“Let me tell you why it is wrong. If you make Peter Obi the deputy to Atiku, three demographic factors delivered Peter Obi in 2023, but the three will collapse.
“The other candidates were Muslims, and so there was only one Christian candidate, and the Christians went to one candidate.
“The South-East felt cheated, so the South-East went to one point because of the Igbo man.
“And the third demography: the Obidients, young Nigerians who felt they were angry, they wanted a younger person and all of that because the other candidates were older than him (Obi).
“If you put Peter Obi this time as president, he cannot penetrate the north. We have our structures in the north. We have governors and our structures in the north.”
