ADC Fires Back at Keyamo Over Claim Obi Made Mistake by Joining Party

Bolaji Abdullahi, the National Publicity Secretary of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has fired back at Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo over claims that Peter Obi made a political mistake by defecting to the ADC, describing Keyamo’s argument as flawed and historically inconsistent.

Keyamo had earlier argued via his X handle that Obi’s move to the ADC undermined zoning principles and questioned the party’s capacity to manage presidential ambitions.

Reacting on Thursday, Abdullahi said the minister’s position ignored how zoning has been selectively applied by the APC itself, especially when political convenience took precedence.

In his response, Abdullahi told Keyamo that his “perspective on the issue of zoning is not correct,” recalling that after the 2015 election, the APC initially zoned the Senate Presidency to the North Central before abandoning the arrangement when Bukola Saraki emerged as a frontrunner. He noted that the ACN bloc at the time argued that zoning was “a PDP thing” and supported Ahmed Lawan from the North East instead.

He added that the APC’s own presidential primaries over the years further weakened the zoning argument, pointing out that contests were often thrown open across regions.

According to him, “this pattern was repeated in 2023,” while the party has effectively zoned the 2027 ticket to an incumbent rather than to any geopolitical zone.

Abdullahi also challenged APC’s commitment to national cohesion, arguing that religious balance has proven even more sensitive than geography.

He said APC disregarded this reality when it opted for a Muslim-Muslim ticket, stressing that the decision showed the party was willing to sacrifice balance for electoral calculations. “If they change it or keep it in 2027, it would not be because they suddenly suffered a pang of conscience, it would be a matter of political strategy,” he stated.

Turning to ADC, Abdullahi said Keyamo’s sudden concern about the party’s internal decisions was curious, noting that ADC is building “a winning coalition” and that nothing about its presidential ticket has been concluded.

He insisted that when decisions are made, they will follow “a clear strategy to win the election,” while maintaining that there are principles the party would not compromise in the interest of national unity.

He dismissed claims that ADC is organised around one individual’s ambition, describing them as “a weak attempt at gaslighting the Peter Obi’s camp.”

Referring to Obi’s reception during his defection in Enugu on New Year’s Eve, Abdullahi suggested that events on the ground showed that Keyamo’s strategy of gaslighting had failed.