FCT, Abuja – Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has dismissed the political strategy of the opposition coalition led by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) as obsolete and ineffective, branding their approach as “expired 419 formats” that can no longer mislead the Nigerian electorate.
Speaking during a televised interview on Sunday, August 3, 2025, Keyamo ridiculed what he described as the renewed confidence of the opposition to challenge and unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2027 general elections.
“I know them very well, and they know us too. These tactics are expired — the same old 419 formats that have been recycled for years. As a former EFCC prosecutor, I’ve seen all these tricks. Nigerians have seen through them as well. You can’t fool the people with these gimmicks anymore,” Keyamo asserted.
The minister accused the coalition of manipulating economic statistics and sensationalizing isolated events to paint an exaggerated image of national crisis.
“They cherry-pick numbers and blow isolated issues out of proportion to manufacture a narrative of failure. But Nigerians are now politically savvy — far beyond falling for those tactics.”
Keyamo also dismissed claims that the opposition is gaining ground ahead of 2027, insisting that the APC remains structurally sound and demographically dominant.
“They say they’re getting stronger, but is the APC getting weaker? Absolutely not. We have the numbers, the grassroots structure, and the experience. They’re recycling the same confused coalition that President Tinubu once described as a ‘coalition of confused people.’ Nothing has changed.”
ADC Eyes 2027 with Presidential Ambitions
Meanwhile, former Kogi West Senator and prominent opposition figure, Dino Melaye, recently declared that the ADC-led coalition will produce a formidable presidential candidate to challenge and defeat President Tinubu in 2027. Melaye expressed confidence in the coalition’s ability to unify and take control of the federal government.
In a related development, Labour Party (LP) chieftain, Comrade Sylvester Edet Okon, urged the ADC to consider adopting Peter Obi as its consensus presidential candidate. Okon argued that Obi remains the most viable opposition figure capable of galvanizing national support.
This comes amid unconfirmed reports that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is allegedly pursuing legal options involving Obi in an effort to challenge Tinubu’s mandate.
As the political landscape heats up ahead of 2027, it remains to be seen whether the opposition can present a unified front strong enough to rival the APC’s entrenched political machinery.
