On Wednesday, July 2, 2025, Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, delivered a pointed analysis of the recent political realignments involving the African Democratic Congress (ADC). In a detailed post on X (formerly Twitter), Keyamo argued that the ADC’s formation and the influx of politicians into the party represent a strategic maneuver primarily benefiting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Keyamo began by highlighting the legal and political implications of politicians abandoning their original parties to join the ADC. “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,” he stated. He emphasized that this mass movement signals the “formal dismemberment of the PDP,” Nigeria’s once-strongest opposition party.
The Minister described the ADC as essentially “Atiku’s faction of PDP in desperate search for the 2027 Presidential ticket,” dismissing the coalition as a mere vehicle for internal PDP power struggles rather than a genuine opposition force. He also noted the presence of some APC members within the coalition—mostly those who opposed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the last election or lost their constituencies—arguing that their defection “takes NOTHING away from the APC.” Instead, Keyamo suggested, it strengthens the APC by removing dissenters from its ranks.
A key point in Keyamo’s analysis was the role of Peter Obi, former presidential candidate and leader of the Labour Party. According to the Minister, the coalition’s architects aim “to take Peter Obi for a ride,” seeking to capitalize on his voter base without granting him the presidential ticket. “This is Atiku’s show simpliciter,” Keyamo said, pointing to the appointment of David Mark as interim chairman as evidence of Atiku’s control. He further questioned the political logic of making Obi a running mate to Atiku, given Obi’s strong regional support in the South-East and South-South compared to Atiku’s base in the North-East.
Keyamo concluded that while the opposition parties—the PDP and Labour Party—have been weakened and fragmented by these developments, the APC remains unscathed and indeed stronger. “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,” he asserted.
He urged Nigerians to focus on governance and respect the constitutional rights of political association, leaving the political realignments to unfold as part of the democratic process.
This commentary from a senior government official offers a revealing perspective on the evolving dynamics within Nigeria’s opposition landscape and signals the challenges ahead for parties aiming to challenge the APC’s dominance in 2027.