The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has scoffed at the recently announced political alliance led by prominent opposition figures under the banner of the All Democratic Congress (ADC), branding it an unserious attempt to mimic the historic 2013 merger that gave birth to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Taking to his verified X handle (formerly Twitter) on Friday, Keyamo did not mince words in deriding the move as an empty political stunt ahead of the 2027 general elections. He described the formation as a “pedestrian joke” that fails to meet the political magnitude and strategic depth that underpinned the APC’s emergence a decade ago.
According to the Senior Advocate of Nigeria, the initiative, spearheaded by the National Opposition Coalition Group, lacks the fundamental ingredients that made the APC’s formation a game-changer in Nigeria’s political landscape. In his words: “If they are thinking of recreating what the APC did in 2013, then this is nothing but a pedestrian joke; a complete mockery of that seismic political coalition.”
The newly formed alliance is said to involve some high-profile political actors, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai, ex-Minister of Transportation Rotimi Amaechi, political strategist Umar Ardo, a one-time aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, as well as leaders of several smaller northern political movements, including the League of Northern Democrats.
Reports indicate that the group submitted its application to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday, seeking registration as a political party, with formal acknowledgment received from the commission the following day.
But Keyamo played down the development, arguing that it holds little weight. According to him, the action amounts to no more than a few individuals seeking party registration, a right enjoyed by any group of Nigerians under the country’s democratic structure. He added that there is no credible indication that any of the 18 currently registered political parties are backing the initiative.
“This is just a simple application for party registration. There is nothing like a ‘coalition’ here. It is an unnecessary hype the promoters have been struggling to create all along; it is just psychological warfare on Nigerians, a weak attempt at mass appeal,” Keyamo said.
He insisted that the announcement is largely symbolic and lacks the cohesive structure and national momentum that characterized the APC’s successful 2013 coalition, which united major opposition parties like the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP), and a faction of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The Aviation Minister concluded his remarks by stressing that what has been portrayed as a groundbreaking political move is nothing more than the routine formation of another political group, with minimal backing and overblown media hype.
“After all the razzmatazz, it boils down to the fact that a new political party is just attempting registration by a few Nigerians, it is a disappointing anti-climax to all the preceding pomp and pageantry,” he added.
While the political climate continues to heat up in anticipation of the 2027 elections, observers say it remains to be seen whether the ADC-led group can evolve into a formidable political force or merely join the long list of fleeting third-force attempts that have punctuated Nigeria’s Fourth Republic.
