The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has dismissed suggestions that youth-driven movements, like Peter Obi’s 2023 Obidient movement, pose a threat to President Bola Tinubu’s re-election in 2027, stating that such movements cannot replace the solid political structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Monday during an interview with Channels Television on the influence of mass movements, Keyamo argued, “The Labour Party was built around him (Peter Obi) and the Obidient movement. Go back to history — even Chief (Obafemi) Awolowo and Dr (Nnamdi) Azikiwe, despite being heroes, could not transcend the complexities of Nigerian elections without structures.”
He further questioned, “Under what platform?” in reference to the speculation that Obi’s Obidient movement could threaten Tinubu’s re-election chances, emphasising that the APC’s well-established structures proved resilient during the 2023 elections despite the challenges posed by the naira redesign policy and fuel scarcity.
“Did you see what happened in the 2023 elections? Despite the naira redesign policy and petroleum scarcity that were against our party, the structures of the APC held firm. It was like a house built on solid rock,” Keyamo added, reinforcing his belief in the unshakable strength of the APC.
News360 Info reports that Keyamo also pointed to the strong support President Tinubu has in the northern region of Nigeria, which he believes will play a crucial role in the upcoming election.
“President Tinubu enjoys more friends in the North than in the South-West,” he said, indicating that this dynamic will prove pivotal in securing the President’s re-election.
In a related development, Keyamo addressed the recent defection of Delta State Governor, Sheriff Oborevwori, to the APC, stating that he had ceded leadership of the party in the state to the governor in a move to further strengthen the party.
“Whether I have to make sacrifices like yesterday where we surrendered (party leadership in Delta), it is all irrelevant so long as we are strengthening APC the more for the re-election of Mr. President,” Keyamo said.
