2027: Atiku’s aide tackles Keyamo over exclusion from ballot

An aide to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Paul Ibe, has criticised the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over his remarks that the heavens would not fall if Atiku was excluded from the 2027 presidential ballot. Ibe, who described Keyamo’s position as an attempt to undermine Nigerians’ democratic rights, said excluding a major political challenger would erode public confidence in the electoral process.

He stated this in a Facebook post while reacting to Keyamo’s comments on the possibility of Atiku not participating in the 2027 presidential election. Ibe argued that the exclusion of a major challenger should not be treated as inconsequential, insisting that Nigerians should be allowed to decide their preferred presidential candidate through the ballot.

“When a ruling party treats the exclusion of a major challenger as inconsequential, it is asking Nigerians to accept that their choice is inconsequential too. That is how you erode public faith in democracy,” he said. Challenging Keyamo, Ibe asked why the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) would welcome the prospect of an election without Atiku if it was confident in President Bola Tinubu’s performance.

He insisted that Tinubu should be allowed to defend his record before Nigerians, while Atiku should also be given the opportunity to present his case to the electorate. Ibe expressed confidence that Atiku would secure widespread support in the January 16, 2027 presidential election, saying the former vice president’s supporters were prepared to translate their support into votes.

“On 16 January 2027, we intend to turn the support Nigerians have shown Atiku into votes and those votes into a mandate. If Nigerians send Tinubu packing at the ballot box, it will be political hell for an APC that has grown accustomed to taking them for granted,” he said. The former vice president’s aide also invoked an Igbo proverb to caution Keyamo and the APC against disregarding the wishes of voters.

He quoted the saying, “A gwa ntị okwu, ntị anụghị, e gburu isi, e gburu ya na ntị,” which he translated to mean that when the ear refuses to heed counsel, it shares the fate of the head when it is lost. According to him, a political party that refuses to listen to voters should be prepared for their response on election day. Ibe further vowed that Atiku’s supporters would defend their right to choose their preferred candidate through all lawful means and exercise that right at the polls.

He, however, ended his post with a sharp personal attack on Keyamo, saying the minister and his supporters belonged in hell.