Festus Keyamo, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has criticized the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) for deciding to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South.

According to reports, Keyamo explained the action as a political ploy to deceive Nigerians before the next election.

The minister stated that voters could not trust the arrangement because it lacked seriousness in an interview with Vanguard on Sunday.

He claimed that the ruling created numerous concerns about whether the party would actually adhere to the agreement in the event that political interests altered in the future.

Keyamo contended that the party’s leaders might simply change their stance. He claimed that if conditions changed in the future, there was nothing stopping the party from taking a different course.

The minister also mentioned the potential for former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi, to switch political parties or persuade the coalition to undo the zoning arrangement if he become a significant member of the group.

Such possibilities, in Keyamo’s opinion, demonstrate that the resolution cannot be a trustworthy pledge to Nigerians prior to the general election in 2027. Such party agreements, according to him, are subject to change whenever political leaders so choose.

“The NDC’s decision is nothing more than political 419 and an affront to Nigerians’ sensibilities. What would happen if Peter Obi switched parties, presuming he wins, or if, in the unusual event that he does, he persuaded the NDC’s NEC to overturn the ruling? The minister declared, “This is merely a prank pushed too far.

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A presidential aspirant on the platform of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Alhaji Mohammed Hayatudeen, has said the ongoing conversation around zoning is distracting Nigerians from the real and urgent challenges facing the survival of the nation.

He passionately advocated that the national discourse be re-focused on what he called the issues that really matter – insecurity, economic collapse and the desperate need for job creation, on the Political Paradigm programme on Channels Television.

416 people were abducted and threatened with execution last week. So what’s that got to do with zoning? What does that have to do with zoning, the tens of thousands of our fellow citizens who have died in the last three years?

“The mother who can’t afford to buy food at the market, the father who can’t send his child to school. “What’s any of that got to do with zoning? He asked.

“What Nigerians need are leaders who are not defined by geography but by character, competence and empathy,” Hayatudeen said.

Doesn’t matter where you come from. What is important is that you have the capacity, the skill, the vision and the deep empathy to deliver for every single Nigerian,” he said.

“Nigeria’s security crisis cannot be solved in isolation,” Hayatudeen was emphatic.

He connected decades of bad economic policy to the growing wave of violence throughout the country.

“Nothing occurs in a vacuum. “There has to be an underlying cause,” he said. “The economy has been mismanaged and has underperformed for at least 20 years. “So, if we say that the population has grown, then that means that the number of people in poverty has grown five or six times, and today, about 110 million Nigerians are in poverty.

He dismissed claims that the current wave of insecurity is election-driven, saying the figures tell a different story.

“I’m a numbers guy. I have compared it with the think tanks, both outside Nigeria and inside Nigeria. “The evidence doesn’t support that narrative,” he said.

Hayatudeen, who was also a presidential aspirant on the platform of PDP, was clear on his decision to fly the ADC flag: the party’s constitution, manifesto and leadership are in tandem with his vision for Nigeria.

“Their leaders are straightforward, tenacious and experienced. “They have the will to mobilize whatever is necessary to fight and win this election at every level,” he said.

He said the ADC’s focus on the cost of living crisis, insecurity, job creation and poverty eradication were the priorities of the ordinary Nigerians and his own.

Hayatudeen also expressed concern on what he described as the deliberate suffocating of the political space in Nigeria.

He warned: “What the government has done is to muzzle the political space through surrogates and instruments of state making it impossible for Nigerians to exercise genuine freedom of choice.

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Bashir El-Rufai has called on the North to forfeit the opportunity to present a presidential candidate in the 2027 general election, saying the South should be allowed to complete the remaining four years of the current political cycle.

In a post on X, the son of former Kaduna State governor, Nasir El-Rufai, expressed his personal position on the political direction of the country, calling for a continuance of Southern leadership in the next electoral cycle.

He also hinted at a political alliance with prominent figures such as Peter Obi and Rabiu Kwankwaso, noting that a collaborative alliance with defined roles could be instrumental in addressing the nation’s problems.

“Let the South finish their remaining four years,” he wrote, implying that northern politicians should postpone their presidential ambitions until after the current cycle.

Bashir said the opportunities for Northern candidates would remain open in the next cycle of elections, saying 2031 would present a clear pathway for any aspirant from the region interested.

His comments are part of the ongoing debate on power rotation and regional balance in Nigeria’s political landscape ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Hope Uzodinma, the Governor of Imo State, has said that the governorship seat must stay zoned among the state’s three senatorial zones.

The governor said this after getting the report from the Imo Elders Council, which was set up to look over the Charter of Equity on how the governorship seat should rotate between the three zones: Orlu, Okigwe, and Owerri.

Uzodinma said that the state will not see any kind of hostile takeover. He stressed that justice, inclusion, and consensus are still important for keeping the peace in the state.

The governor spoke to the Elders Council at the Government House Banquet Hall in Owerri. He said that the lessons learned from the 2020 crisis, when he took office, showed how dangerous it is to exclude people from politics.

“Anyone who is denied justice may not want peace. Uzodinma said, “We will stop any kind of hostile takeover by getting everyone to agree.”

He called the Elders Council the “conscience of the state” and said that it was set up by law to guide government without any political bias.

The state’s top citizen said that there are plans to change the law that set up the council to give it more power, including punishing members who do bad things.

Uzodinma said again that the Charter of Equity takes into account the fair distribution of important political positions across the three senatorial zones. He urged all parties to respect zoning rules and avoid politics that divide people.

He also said again that the state is in line with the federal government and thanked President Bola Tinubu for his help.

The governor was hopeful that following fairness and justice would ensure stability and a smooth political change in the state.

“Charter of Equity is here to stay.” Believe in the Charter of Equity and listen to what makes sense. Support the president and work with the federal government. “And go home and pray and let God do the rest,” Uzodinma said.

He said he would talk to more people from all three zones to build on the agreement that will bring about political stability, which he says the state has not had in a long time.

He told the elders that their work would not end with his administration, as the body would still give advice to future governors in the state.

Earlier, Eze Cletus Ilomuanya, the Chairman of the Elders Council, praised the governor for bringing the state together and said that sustainable development can only happen when all areas move forward together.

Ilomuanya said that the Imo Charter of Equity should not just be talk; it should be put into action by making sure that appointments are fair, projects are distributed fairly, and everyone in the state’s zones has the same opportunities.

He said that the charter was a promise to make Imo a welcoming place where no one feels left out and everyone can strive to be a leader without being discriminated against.

Eze Ilomuanya told the governor to follow the Charter’s principles of fairness, justice, and peace.

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The African Democratic Congress, or ADC, has begun registering in Anambra State and is requesting that all prospective members relocate to their wards in order to take part in the process.

This comes after Mr. Peter Obi, the party’s presidential candidate, declared that the whole South-East is in favor of his goal and insisted that the region’s residents should have the authority to govern the nation.

Speaking to members during the registration flag-off, Obi stated that South-East stakeholders are collaborating with others to make sure the region produces the next President, who will save the nation from poor leadership.

“On this journey, South-East is working as a family,” he stated. Here at ADC are all of the prominent political figures. We are collaborating as a family and communicating with various regions of the nation.

“The goal of this effort is to make Nigeria a workplace by uniting all opposition parties. As a result, you will see members of the political parties collaborating with us.

“We want Nigeria to be a safe country, not the world’s fifth most dangerous nation and the top place where no one wants to be born.”

Additionally, Obi promised to contest the new Electoral Act, claiming that it is aimed at the opposition.

He stated that the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, should focus on conducting a credible election rather than telling parties whose candidates to field.

“We’ve seen every revision of the Electoral Act, and INEC has no right to dictate how parties choose their candidates. It will be contested by some of us. They ought to concentrate on the process of holding elections. They shouldn’t decide to quit their job as referees in order to train a coach in player selection.

“Those who yesterday professed to be Democrats are now the worst despots.” Instead of discussing governance, they are discussing seizing power and abusing it once more, just like they did in 2023.

“They are discussing how to steal election results, but we won’t allow them to do it this time. We are currently the nation with the worst power issue. If they do, we will seize them. They won’t be able to pull it off this time.

“We want to register as many people as possible because the election of 2027 will be against bad leadership,” he said in an appeal for widespread registration.

“They won’t claim that South-East has returned or that it requires power, but they must recognize that South-East is Nigeria and that we are both stakeholders and a part of it.”

“We in the South-East claim to want a new Nigeria, and we are the only people in every region of Nigeria who own their own homes and conduct lawful business.”

“We want to eradicate poverty among Nigerians, and we are confident that doing so will make us safe.

“We want you all to go fishing for men. If they have this and that, they won’t be afraid, so don’t be afraid of what they have. They are aware that their possessions are counterfeit, and we will pursue them all simultaneously.

Senator Ben Obi, who chaired the flag-off event, declared, “I want to assure that no one will be cheated.” Our shared objective is to guarantee Peter Obi’s election to the presidency.

“Everyone is aware that we are working with other regions of Nigeria to make sure of this, but it would not be beneficial for us to cause him any trouble in Anambra. His strongest foundation must be Anambra, and I would like to state that we would set aside time to make sure that everyone in the party is at ease.

“Our shared objective is to ensure Peter Obi’s success, and we will not tolerate anyone acting in a way that is detrimental to the cause.”

Benchuks Nwosu, chairman of the Registration Committee, disclosed that each of the 326 wards will receive 150 cards, and each ward will have one register.

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Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication, Phrank Shaibu, has rubbished claims by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo that the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is scared of zoning its presidential ticket like other political parties.

Shaibu said Keyamo and those in power are afraid that the team of Atiku and Peter Obi would collapse their “carefully engineered monopoly of power.”
Keyamo had said there is no hiding place for the ADC and opposition, adding that the party is afraid to zone its presidential ticket.

Responding, Shaibu said “when power fears choice, it starts shouting “zoning.”
Posting on X, Shaibu wrote: “My dear @fkeyamo, Your recent outbursts following the public declaration of Peter Obi for the ADC reveal more than political disagreement. They reveal panic—panic at the collapse of a carefully engineered monopoly of power.

“You have been ranting because the script you helped write has been disrupted.
“After choking the PDP through internal sabotage and state intimidation, and deliberately crippling the Labour Party through legal harassment and administrative strangulation, you assumed the opposition space had been cleared. You assumed Nigerians had no options left. You assumed resignation would replace resistance. You were wrong.
“Your sudden obsession with @atiku, @Peterobi  and “zoning” is not driven by concern for national unity. It is a convenient talking point, dusted up only because a new political vehicle has emerged—one that threatens the artificial calm sustained by fear, defections, and state power.

“Zoning is not a constitutional commandment. It is a political arrangement—used when convenient and ignored when inconvenient. To pretend otherwise is bad faith.
“Saying that the ADC “belongs to one man” is ironic, coming from an administration that permanently uses government power to break opposition parties, pressure governors, and silence critics. Coalitions do not frighten democrats. They frighten those who fear competition, like you.”
Shaibu said calling any Atiku–Peter Obi engagement “camouflage” is an insult to Nigerians.

He added: “Votes are not bags to be secretly transferred across party lines. Support is earned, not inherited. Millions of Nigerians support @atiku and @PeterObi not because they are foolish, but because they are hungry, angry, and exhausted from watching their country deteriorate while the government of Tinubu offer only excuses and insults.”
He insisted that describing these same citizens as “naive” is contemptuous.
Shaibu added: “Nigerians know exactly who presides over collapsing purchasing power, rising food prices, worsening insecurity, and shrinking hope. They do not need lectures from a panic-stricken Minister of Aviation whose own political ambitions in Delta State were cut short by the same coercive politics he now defends.
“You boast of your party’s “triumph” in 2023. Nigerians are living with the audit of that contraption every day—in the markets, on the roads, and in their homes. It is brutal. And no amount of shouting about zoning can drown out the sound of empty stomachs.
“Let us be clear: Nigeria’s unity is not threatened by this coalition. It is threatened by poverty, injustice, exclusion, and a government that mistakes power retention for nation-building.
“So yes, Festus Keyamo, there is no hiding place. Not for the opposition you mock. And certainly not for a ruling party that has exhausted excuses.
“What Nigerians are rejecting is not politics. They are rejecting the continuity of failure dressed up as stability.”

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Minister of Aviation, Festus Keyamo, says the African Democratic Congress, ADC, is scared of zoning its presidential ticket, like the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have done.

Keyamo said this in a post on his verified X handle on Thursday, saying that the ADC cannot do so because the party belongs to former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar.
He accused Atiku of repeating in the ADC the same thing he did to the PDP prior to the 2023 general elections.

According to him, in a highly sensitive country like Nigeria, any pan-Nigerian party must be clear as to zoning, reiterating that the APC governors did so in 2023 and triumphed.
“The ADC is scared to clearly zone its presidential ticket, like the other major parties (PDP and APC) have done, because the party belongs to one man called Atiku Abubakar.

“It is the exact corner that Atiku pushed PDP to in 2023 that ADC now finds itself; the inability to zone its presidential ticket,” he said.

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Ahead of the 2027 general elections, critical stakeholders of the All Democratic Congress (ADC) have called for the zoning of the House of Representatives ticket for Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo Federal Constituency to Okpokwu Local Government Area.

The call was made during a crucial stakeholders’ meeting attended by all ward chairmen, the party secretary from Edumoga District, and women and youth leaders across the wards in Eke, Edumoga district on Monday.
The stakeholders emphasized that the three local government areas have collectively completed eight years in the position, and for equity, the ticket should now return to Okpokwu.

“The principle of equity demands that Okpokwu produces the next representative for the federal constituency. For too long, the rotation has favoured other areas, and it is now time to ensure fairness and balance.
“This is not just a demand from Okpokwu; it is a call for justice for all three local government areas, Ado, Okpokwu, and Ogbadibo.

“Respecting this agelong arrangement will strengthen unity within the constituency, foster mutual trust among the people and uphold the democratic principles that should guide our party,” said Hon. Christian Abba, an elder from Edumoga.
Mr. Michael Ogwuche, Chairman of the ADC Ward Chairmen Forum, urged other aspirants from outside Okpokwu to step down to allow the zoning arrangement to stand. “We must respect the zoning agreement in Enone to maintain unity within our party and strengthen our chances in the 2027 elections.
“Ignoring this principle could create divisions, weaken our collective strength, and undermine the confidence of our supporters across the constituency. By honouring the rotation and ensuring that Okpokwu produces the next representative, we are not only upholding fairness but also sending a clear message that the ADC is committed to internal democracy, inclusiveness, and the principles of justice that our people expect from us,” he stated.

Hon. Clatus Ejembi and Ogwuche Ejembi also reaffirmed the call, stressing that adherence to zoning will ensure fairness and promote internal democracy within the ADC.
The well-attended meeting underscores strong support for Okpokwu producing the next House of Representatives member, sending a clear message to aspirants and party leaders ahead of the 2027 polls.

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