Keyamo mocks at ADC Protest: ‘Faction that couldn’t win a council seat, you are blackmailers’

Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN), has condemned the protest staged in the federal capital by leaders of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), describing it as an attempt to “blackmail national institutions and undermine the rule of law.”

The march, which set out from Maitama Roundabout on Wednesday, featured prominent opposition figures including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, ex‑Kano State Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, ex‑Rivers State Governor Rotimi Amaechi, former Senate President David Mark, former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi. Protesters proceeded toward the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Hands off our courts.”

In a statement reacting to the demonstration, Keyamo argued that democracy cannot be held hostage by the demands of a small faction. He cited the ADC’s failure to win a single council seat in the recent Federal Capital Territory elections, saying the group has “no popular mandate to dictate national discourse.”

“The survival of our democracy is not anchored on one faction of a political party,” the minister said. “Nigerians are not so gullible to accept blackmail or media narratives that ignore due process and judicial authority.”

Keyamo reaffirmed confidence in Nigeria’s democratic institutions, stressing that judicial processes and the decisions of the electoral commission must be respected. He warned that leveraging protests to exert undue influence on state organs would not succeed.

ADC leaders have accused INEC of partisanship in favor of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and urged citizens to defend democratic principles. Amaechi addressed participants from a van along the protest route, calling on Nigerians to protect the integrity of electoral institutions.