- Safiu Kehinde
Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has declared the presence of the 2023 Peoples Democratic Party’s Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party’s counterpart, Peter Obi, at the unveiling of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition party as illegal.
NPO Reported that Atiku and Obi had yesterday joined other opposition political leaders under the aegis of the National Opposition Coalition Group (NOCG) at the Yar’Adua event centre, Abuja, where the group adopted the ADC with ex-Senate President, David Mark, and former Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, as the party’s interim National Chairman and National Secretary respectively.
Unlike Mark and Aregbesola who have both tendered their resignation from their previous political parties, the PDP and the All Progressives Congress (APC), Atiku and Obi joined the ADC while still an active member of their respective parties.
Reacting in a post shared on his X handle on Wednesday evening, Keyamo faulted Atiku’s and Obi’s presence at the coalition party, noting that it is illegal to belong two parties at the same time.
This according to the Minister serves as ground for disqualification in an election.
“What happened earlier today with the movement of the so-called ‘coalition’ into the ADC is the greatest factor that has strengthened the APC ahead of the 2027 elections. Let me explain.
“By law, you cannot operate from, or belong to, two or multiple political parties, so it is safe to say that their open declaration for ADC today is a clear abandonment of their previous parties. In fact, belonging to two political parties is a ground for disqualification in an election.” He said.
Keyamo described the formation of the ADC as formal dismemberment of the PDP while labelling the Atiku’s switch to the coalition party as part of his desperate search for the 2027 Presidential ticket.
He also trolled former APC members at the coalition party, comparing them to germ that was extracted from eating the cola nut from within.
“Therefore, the emergence of ADC as presently constituted marks the formal dismemberment of the PDP, hitherto Nigeria’s strongest opposition Party. Majority of the old guard in the PDP (who have apparently lost control of the Party) have been pushed out of the party by the Younger Turks within the PDP.
“That is why the gathering today was a conglomerate of ‘former this’ and ‘former that’ of the PDP. No matter how you look at it, this is just Atiku’s faction of PDP in desperate search for the 2027 Presidential ticket – nothing more, nothing less.
“The other addition to the so-called ‘coalition’ is a sprinkling of APC members who actually worked against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last election and one or two APC leaders who lost their constituencies to opposition parties in 2023. Their movement therefore takes NOTHING away from the APC.
“It is actually better for the APC because it is just a case of totally extracting the germ that was eating the cola nut from within.” He said.
On Peter Obi, Keyamo claimed he was drafted into the coalition to be used in securing Southeast votes while raising question over the compatibility of a likely Atiku-Obi Presidential candidacy.
“The person who the old, cunning guards want to take for a ride in all of this is Peter Obi. They want his votes, but don’t want to give him their Presidential ticket, because this is Atiku’s show simpliciter. That is why David Mark is the interim Chairman.
“Those who know politics know what I am saying. But if you do not give Peter Obi the Presidential ticket, you lose his supporters. It is as simple as that.
“And how can you make someone who won two regions in the last election (South-East and South-South) a running mate to the person who won only one region (North-East)?” He asked.
The aviation minister however noted that the APC has nothing to lose but has become more stronger with the coalition party formation.
“When the dust settles, you will discover that PDP and the Labour Party have lost something, the ADC have only gained something like a caricature, but the APC has lost ABSOLUTELY nothing.
“What this all means is that since the 2023 elections, the APC have become stronger, whilst the opposition parties have been fragmented and have become weaker. Those who have defected to the APC since 2023 (the Governors, Senators, Honourable members, etc) put side-by-side with a small handful who have left the APC, who would you rather have in your ranks? That is where lies the key to the whole analyses.
“For now, let us face governance and allow them exercise their constitutional right to associate and assemble.” He added.