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| Mr. Peter Obi |
Even some of Peter Obi’s fiercest critics are beginning to acknowledge the undeniable influence of the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate.
The former Anambra State governor has built a massive following that many now recognize as a powerful force capable of reshaping Nigeria’s political landscape.
Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and a prominent APC figure, has openly admitted that Peter Obi commands a significant supporter base. Keyamo revealed that the newly formed political coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) intends to leverage Obi’s popularity for their own agenda - only to discard him afterward.
According to a press release from Peter Obi media organization, Keyamo was previously one of the leading voices in the APC’s campaign to undermine Obi’s rising profile during the 2023 elections. However, following the official launch of the ADC as a coalition platform for opposition politicians on July 1, 2025, Keyamo took to X (formerly Twitter) to warn that Atiku Abubakar and David Mark are acting as shrewd strategists. He accused them of plotting to exploit Obi’s loyal supporters for their political gain.
This development highlights the complex and often cutthroat nature of Nigerian politics, where alliances can be as strategic as they are fragile.
“The person whom 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. That is why David Mark is the interim chairman,” Mr Keyamo stated.
He added, “Those who know politics know what I am saying. But if you do not give Peter Obi the presidential ticket, you lose his supporters. It is as simple as that.
“And how can you make someone who won two regions in the last election (South-East and South-South) a running mate to the person who won only one region (North-East)?”
Describing the coalition as a hybrid of Mr Abubakar’s faction from the Peoples Democratic Party and a few disgruntled APC politicians who left the party after Mr. Tinubu’s emergence, Mr. Keyamo pointed out that “this is just Atiku’s faction of PDP in desperate search for the 2027 presidential ticket - nothing more, nothing less.”
Mr Keyamo explained that “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 politician warned that the politicians in the coalition “belonging to two political parties, is a ground for disqualification in an election.”
On same Tuesday, opposition politicians adopted the ADC as the political vehicle for their 2027 campaign. The new coalition immediately announced Mr Mark and Rauf Aregbesola, a former Osun governor, as its national chairman and national secretary, respectively.
As things stand and as the opposition landscape shifts, Peter Obi’s role and the loyalty of his followers remain a critical factor to watch.
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