2027 Election: FG Says Atiku-Obi Alliance Can’t Unseat Tinubu

The Federal Government has downplayed the possibility of an opposition alliance between former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Labour Party’s Peter Obi defeating President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking during a political affairs programme on Sunday, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, described the potential coalition as “an unfruitful adventure,” dismissing it as a weak strategy that lacks popular appeal.

Keyamo said the ruling party was familiar with the tactics of opposition figures and would not be blindsided by recycled political methods. “They know us very well, and we also know them very well. We are not strangers to each other. Some of these tactics they are using are what I call 419 tactics. These tactics have expired,” he said.

He particularly criticised the approach of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), calling their plans deceptive and ineffective in the long term.

Without naming names, the minister also took a swipe at a leading opposition figure, accusing him of hypocrisy. “One of them is busy disgracing wealth every day, putting 500 cars in his garage and telling Nigerians he wants to rescue them,” he said.

According to Keyamo, rather than focusing on alliances, Nigerians should assess the Tinubu administration based on its economic performance. “These are indices of a healthy economy. It is the trickle-down effect that will finally free up spaces for jobs and put money in the pockets of Nigerians,” he explained, citing stable foreign reserves, growing revenue, and a strengthening naira as signs of progress.

He dismissed criticism over inflation and rising food prices as “superficial and emotional,” arguing that the opposition was ignoring broader macroeconomic recovery. “They are using the prices of food items like yams to paint a grim picture, but they ignore the broader economic improvements,” Keyamo added.

Referencing a recent statement by President Tinubu, Keyamo said the opposition was merely “a coalition of confused people.”

Despite this, he acknowledged that opposition pressure could help the ruling party remain focused and accountable. Still, he argued the numbers from the last election made a successful Atiku-Obi alliance unlikely.

“The idea that combining Peter Obi and Atiku’s figures will defeat our 8.4 million votes in 2023 – that alliance will not work,” he said.

He analysed Obi’s 2023 performance as being driven by three main factors: religious appeal, regional support from the South-East, and youth enthusiasm under the “Obidient” movement. But he warned those pillars would likely weaken if Obi were to accept a vice-presidential slot in a joint ticket.

“If Obi is made a deputy, the Christian demography will pull out and become apolitical. Besides, the President’s wife is a pastor, and that appeals to Christian voters too. That will neutralise any faith-based political calculation,” he argued.

On regional dynamics, Keyamo predicted that the South-East would not offer the same level of support for Obi under a joint ticket led by Atiku. “These parties cannot campaign for an 80-year-old Muslim president. The youth won’t follow them,” he said.