2027: Obi Can’t Penetrate The North, Tinubu Has Structures – Keyamo

 Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, on August 03, 2025, asserted that Peter Obi, the former Labour Party presidential candidate and now a key figure in the ADC coalition, lacks the political infrastructure to penetrate northern Nigeria, contrasting this with President Bola Tinubu’s entrenched structures in the region. 

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Keyamo argued that Obi’s 2023 success, garnering 25% of the vote, largely from southern and urban youth support, was driven by demographic factors like his Christian identity and youth appeal, which he claims will not replicate in the north. He emphasized Tinubu’s alliances with northern governors and the All Progressives Congress (APC) machinery as decisive advantages for the 2027 election.

Keyamo’s remarks follow the ADC’s formation on July 02, 2025, uniting Obi with Atiku Abubakar to challenge Tinubu, who won 37% in 2023. He suggested that even a combined Obi-Atiku ticket would struggle against the APC’s eight million votes, citing northern voter loyalty to Tinubu’s network. 

Critics, however, point to Obi’s growing online following, over 5 million social media supporters, and his appeal to disaffected northern youth as potential counterweights. The narrative of regional dominance is contentious, with the north’s 19 states holding 57% of National Assembly seats, making Keyamo’s claim plausible but not unchallengeable, as Obi’s strategy may hinge on mobilizing beyond traditional structures.