Activist lawyer and public commentator, Deji Adeyanju, has claimed that key supporters of President Bola Tinubu are quietly backing former Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, to emerge as the presidential flagbearer of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Adeyanju alleged that prominent Tinubu allies, including the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, and former Ekiti State governor, Ayodele Fayose, are subtly promoting Obi’s candidacy within the ADC.
He made the assertion while reacting to Fayose’s recent comment describing Obi as the only viable figure within the ADC. Fayose had said, “Peter Obi is the only life in ADC. Other lives there are semi-existing. Atiku and Tambuwal destroyed PDP.”
In a post on his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Adeyanju questioned the motive behind what he described as coordinated support for Obi by Tinubu’s loyalists. He suggested that their actions were driven by fear of a strong northern presidential contender.
“Why are all major Tinubu supporters promoting Peter Obi, their man Friday?” Adeyanju wrote. “From Keyamo to Fayose, etc; they want the coalition to present Obi.”
He further argued that the ruling party’s allies appeared uncomfortable with the possibility of a northern candidate emerging from the opposition coalition, particularly former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, whom he described as a “serial contester.”
“Why does it look like they are afraid of a northern candidate, especially the serial contester Atiku?” he added. “Their fear is too obvious.”
Adeyanju’s comments have sparked renewed debate within Nigeria’s political space, as discussions intensify around opposition realignments, coalition politics, and the search for a formidable challenger ahead of the next presidential election.
