Deborah Akinyosoye
Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has taken a swipe at an unnamed political figure, alleging that the individual has accepted to serve as a vice-presidential candidate despite knowing that party primaries had already been concluded.
Keyamo made the claim in a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Monday, where he suggested that the politician was struggling to justify the decision to his supporters.
“Finally, the chicken is coming home to roost: I understand that someone, somewhere has drafted and redrafted the statement he will release to hoodwink his ‘supporters’ on why he has accepted to be Vice-Presidential candidate after a primaries that he knows has long been concluded,” Keyamo wrote.
He added that the unnamed politician had prepared several versions of an explanation, which he dismissed as insincere.
“He has written and torn drafts upon drafts, containing the normal gibberish of ‘my desire to rescue Nigeria’, bla, bla bla. It’s a tough one for him, but we are excited at the prospect of unmasking a true turncoat and a fraud at the coming campaigns,” the minister said.
Keyamo’s comments followed reports suggesting that former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, who was the vice-presidential candidate to Atiku Abubakar in the 2019 presidential election, was set to align with the coalition-backed African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The reports claimed that Obi was expected to formally join the ADC on Wednesday, December 31, following consultations within the opposition coalition.
However, Obi has denied claims that he is defecting or newly joining the ADC, insisting that he has been part of the coalition from the outset.
Speaking during an X Space session on Sunday, Obi said he had always been associated with the ADC and described reports of his defection as misleading.
“I am not joining ADC. I can’t re-join what I am already a part of,” Obi said.
“I’ve been part of the coalition from day one. Nobody is stepping down for me in ADC. We have all agreed to work together,” he added.
Obi also spoke about his relationship with former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, stressing that there was no rift between them.
“Atiku remains my respected leader,” Obi said, describing him as “an elder brother” whom he would always hold in high regard.