Naja’atu Muhammad has fired back at Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, over his comments suggesting that former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and other candidates from the David Mark led faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could be excluded from the 2027 presidential election.
Muhammad insisted that nothing could stop Atiku’s presidential ambition, declaring that even alleged efforts by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to frustrate his candidacy would not prevent him from pursuing the presidency.
She said that available data and intelligence showed that Atiku was on course to win the 2027 election by a wide margin, adding that those opposed to his ambition were aware of his political strength.
According to her, the alleged resort to court proceedings was an attempt to sabotage Atiku’s candidacy because his opponents feared the outcome of a direct electoral contest.
Muhammad further argued that attempts to use the judiciary to keep Atiku off the ballot would come too late to stop the political movement surrounding his ambition.
She warned that excluding Atiku from the presidential race could trigger a revolutionary movement, insisting that Nigerians would strongly resist any attempt to deny him the opportunity to contest.
Her response comes after Keyamo maintained that the ADC would participate in the 2027 general election but that Atiku and other candidates produced by the David Mark led faction might not appear on the ballot, depending on the final judgment of the Supreme Court.
Keyamo’s comments followed a Federal High Court judgment in Abuja that nullified the David Mark led leadership structure of the ADC and invalidated decisions taken by the faction, including the process that produced Atiku as its presidential candidate.
The ADC has rejected the judgment and indicated its intention to challenge the decision in court.
Muhammad’s remarks have added to the growing political exchange between supporters of Atiku and the Tinubu administration as the legal battle over the ADC’s leadership and 2027 presidential ticket continues.
