2027 poll will be coronation for Tinubu, not election — Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has declared that the 2027 presidential election will be a “coronation” rather than a contest, expressing confidence that President Bola Tinubu will secure a second term in office.

Keyamo made the remark during an interview on Channels Television while defending the performance of the Tinubu administration and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

Responding to a question on the opposition’s chances, particularly those of Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, the minister said he could not see where Obi’s votes would come from.

“I’m looking around, between you and me, where will Obi’s votes come from? I can’t see it,” he said.

When asked about former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Keyamo dismissed the suggestion that the former presidential candidate posed a major challenge, saying, “Which Atiku? Nightmare, who?”

The minister then predicted that the 2027 presidential election would be a mere formality for Tinubu.

“I want to make a profound statement, as a closing statement. Not out of arrogance, not out of overconfidence, but out of pure demographic calculations, the 2027 election is a coronation, not an election,” he said.

Keyamo, however, urged that his comment should not be misconstrued, insisting that his confidence was based on what he described as demographic calculations rather than arrogance.

He also pointed to recent APC electoral victories as evidence of the party’s growing strength.

“But we have won in Ekiti now. We told them to vote, they voted. FCT, they voted. We won! We won!” he added.

As the interview concluded, the minister issued what appeared to be a warning to opposition parties, saying, “Jungle is about to be mature. Everywhere go blur for them. Everywhere go blur.”