Peter Obi , second left, Aregbesola, David Mark, Atiku, extreme right and others

Minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, has said that the recent migration of the opposition coalition into the African Democratic Congress (ADC) marks the formal dismemberment of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

On Wednesday, ADC was unveiled as the platform of the opposition coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu in the next election.The event attracted politicians from major political parties, including the Labour Party (LP), the PDP, and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Speaking on the development, Keyamo, as quoted by TNG, said by law, no individual can belong to multiple political parties at the same time, making the open declaration for ADC a clear abandonment of previous affiliations for the politicians involved.

He said the event has bolstered the APC ahead of the 2027 general election.

“The emergence of ADC as presently constituted marks the formal dismemberment of the PDP, hitherto Nigeria’s strongest opposition party,” he said.

“Majority of the old guard in the PDP (who have apparently lost control of the Party) have been pushed out of the party by the younger Turks within the PDP. That is why the gathering today was a conglomerate of ‘former this’ and ‘former that’ of the PDP.

“No matter how you look at it, this is just Atiku’s faction of PDP in desperate search for the 2027 presidential ticket — nothing more, nothing less.”

Keyamo noted that some APC members who joined the ADC previously worked against Tinubu or lost their constituencies in 2023.

“Their movement takes nothing away from the APC; it is actually better for the party as it removes internal dissenters,” he said.

“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.”

He also highlighted the intrigues involving Peter Obi, presidential candidate of LP in 2023, suggesting that the coalition’s leadership aims to leverage Obi’s voter base without offering him the presidential ticket.

Keyamo warned that excluding Obi from the ticket could alienate his supporters, especially given Obi’s strong performance in the south-east and south-south regions in the last election.

“The person who 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,” he added.

“That is why David Mark is the interim chairman. Those who know politics know what I am saying. But if you do not give Peter Obi the Presidential ticket, you lose his supporters.”