The Federal Government has denied rumours that President Bola Tinubu would be defeated in the general election of 2027 by a possible coalition between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi of the Labour Party.
During a political current events program on Sunday, Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, spoke on behalf of the government and called the move “an unfruitful adventure.”
In his analysis of the new political alliances before the next presidential election, Keyamo claimed that Nigerians were already accustomed to the African Democratic Congress’s techniques and would not be influenced by what he called outmoded ones.
He said, “They know us very well, and we also know them very well. We are not strangers to each other. Some of these tactics they are using are what I call 419 tactics. These tactics have expired.”
Furthermore, Keyamo claimed that the ADC plans were dishonest political strategies that would ultimately succeed.
The minister did not hold back in his criticism of a prominent opposition member, accusing him of displaying affluence while professing to support the interests of the average person.
He said, “One of them is busy disgracing wealth every day, putting 500 cars in his garage and telling Nigerians he wants to rescue them.”
According to Keyamo, Nigerians ought to ask if the Tinubu administration is correctly addressing the country’s economic foundations.
The answer is a “resounding yes,” he said.
As indicators of economic recovery, he pointed to stable foreign reserves, growing government revenue, and a stabilising naira.
“These are indices of a healthy economy. It is the trickle-down effect that will finally free up spaces for jobs and put money in the pockets of Nigerians,” he said.
The opposition’s emphasis on inflation and commodity prices was also rejected by the minister, who called them flimsy and sentimental strategies.
He emphasised President Tinubu’s recent statement that the opposition is “a coalition of confused people.”
Although he claimed that the opposition was outnumbered, he also emphasised that the ruling party appreciates the competition because it keeps it accountable and focused.
He clarified that Obi benefited in 2023 from three important demographic factors: religious identity, South-East regional allegiance, and the youth-led “Obidient” movement. Two of those three support bases would disintegrate if Obi were to run for vice president in 2027, Keyamo claimed.
“The idea that combining Peter Obi and Atiku’s figures will defeat our 8.4 million votes in 2023 – that alliance will not work,” he said confidently.
“If Obi is made a deputy, the Christian demography will pull out and become apolitical.
“Besides, the President’s wife is a pastor, and that appeals to Christian voters too. That will neutralise any faith-based political calculation,” he said.
Keyamo also added that the South-East, which largely backed Obi in 2023, would abandon him if Atiku becomes the presidential candidate.
Join Our Social Media Channels:
WhatsApp: NaijaEyes
Facebook: NaijaEyes
Twitter: NaijaEyes
Instagram: NaijaEyes
TikTok: NaijaEyes
