As political calculations intensify ahead of the 2027 presidential election, Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo has asserted that Peter Obi, a leading figure in the opposition, lacks the capacity to make significant electoral inroads in northern Nigeria compared to President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking during an interview, He maintained that Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) have entrenched political structures across the North, giving them a clear advantage.
He also dismissed the emerging opposition alliance under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), predicting limited impact.
“They are going nowhere in terms of demography,” Keyamo stated.
“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.”
Keyamo listed the three factors he felt worked in favour of Obi in 2023. “The other candidates were Muslims, and so there was only one Christian candidate, and the Christians went to one candidate,” he said.
“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.”
