Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, has declared that the recent migration of key opposition figures into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) marks the “formal dismemberment” of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), once Nigeria’s dominant opposition party.
Keyamo was reacting to Wednesday’s unveiling of ADC as the platform for a new opposition coalition that aims to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 general elections. The launch attracted heavyweights from major political parties, including the PDP, Labour Party (LP), and even some members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on the development, Keyamo said the public declaration for ADC automatically nullifies prior political affiliations, given that the law does not allow simultaneous membership of multiple parties.
“The emergence of ADC as presently constituted marks the formal dismemberment of the PDP, hitherto Nigeria’s strongest opposition party,” he said.
“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.”
He dismissed the coalition’s significance, characterising it as a rebranded attempt by a faction of the PDP to field former Vice President Atiku Abubakar again in 2027.
“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,” he added.
Keyamo also reacted to the participation of some APC members in the coalition, downplaying its effect on the ruling party.
“Their movement takes nothing away from the APC; it is actually better for the party as it removes internal dissenters,” he stated.
“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.”
The minister further questioned the coalition’s sincerity towards Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi. According to him, the coalition is leveraging Obi’s voter base, particularly in the South-East and South-South, without any genuine intention to offer him the presidential ticket.
“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,” Keyamo said.
“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.”
The ADC coalition named Senator David Mark as its interim national chairman and Rauf Aregbesola, former Osun governor, as national secretary, a move seen by political watchers as symbolic of a grand political realignment ahead of 2027.
Chioma Kalu
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