2027: Government About Results Not Rhetoric, Atiku Aide Replies Keyamo

By Rotela Oguns

Phrank Shaibu, a Senior Special Assistant on Public Communication to former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar,  has countered the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo,  on his claim that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu can’t be defeated in the 2027 citing his understanding of Nigeria’s opposition politics which features prominently in his political credentials.

Keyamo stated that Tinubu is ahead of the current opposition figures in Nigeria having played the role for years before ascending into the highest political office in the country.

The minister made these assertions in a post on his verified X handle on Sunday, stating ,”You cannot beat a master at his game”

But the Atiku camp has refused to take Keyamo’s claims lying down, faulting the minister’s position on all counts.

In a statement on Monday, Shaibu noted that the Nigerian electorate would decide Tinubu’s fate in 2027 and not his  supposed vaunted past records as an opposition figure.

He added that the electorate would consider the realities confronting them without using Tinubu’s past roles in the opposition as one of the criteria for assessing his administration.

Atiku’s aide stressed that results not rhetoric would be used as yardstick for measuring Tinubu’s administration.

Shaibu said: “Tinubu may have excelled in opposition politics, but governance is about results, not rhetoric. The myth of invincibility is often the last refuge of a failing narrative. Tinubu may have had his moments in opposition politics, but governance is not a game of chess; it is a duty to deliver results.

“Today, Nigerians are not asking who once outfoxed whom in 2007; they are asking why hunger is rising, why insecurity persists, and why the cost of living has become unbearable. Being ‘00 steps ahead should reflect in better lives for citizens, not in clever political storytelling.

“History may remember political battles, but the present will judge leadership by performance, and on that scale, no amount of myth-making can mask the truth. He is an abysmal failure!”

Atiku’s aide doubled down in a follow-up tweet, broadening his criticism of the administration’s performance.

“Being ‘100 steps ahead’ scheming means nothing when millions of Nigerians are being dragged backwards by hunger, insecurity, and a collapsing standard of living.

“What is the value of strategy if it cannot put food on the table, secure lives, or restore dignity to the average citizen? Governance is not a masterclass in manipulation, it is a test of compassion, competence, and courage.

“Today, Nigerians are not impressed by recycled opposition tactics dressed up as brilliance; they are confronted daily by empty pockets, unsafe communities, and a government that appears disconnected from their pain. No amount of propaganda can mask a reality that is this loud,” he stated.