Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has argued that Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s support base in the 2023 elections was built on temporary demographic sentiments that may not be replicated in 2027.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Keyamo said Obi’s 2023 success was driven by religious sentiment, ethnic solidarity from the South-East, and a surge of support from young Nigerians.
“Three demographic factors delivered Peter Obi in 2023, but all three will collapse,” he said.
He noted that Obi, as the only major Christian candidate in the last race, benefited from faith-based voting, while the South-East rallied around him due to ethnic identity.
“The South-East felt cheated, so they went to one point because of the Igbo man,” he said.
The third pillar of support, according to Keyamo, was the youth movement known as the Obidients, who rallied behind Obi as a younger alternative to the older candidates.
However, Keyamo, a member of the All Progressives Congress (APC), dismissed suggestions that a possible merger between Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) would pose a threat to the APC.
“They are going nowhere in terms of demography,” he stated. “We have our structures in the North, governors and ground game. Obi cannot penetrate the North.”
He acknowledged the opposition’s activities as a healthy challenge for the APC, saying it keeps the ruling party alert ahead of the 2027 polls.
