ABUJA: [Festus Keyamo](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festos_Keyamo), the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, launched a scathing attack on former Vice President [Atiku Abubakar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atiku_Abubakar) on Friday night, characterising the opposition leader’s recent verbal assaults on President [Bola Ahmed Tinubu](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bola_Ahmed_Tinubu) as signs of ‘agitated depression’ triggered by political loss.
**Why does Keyamo link Atiku’s remarks to political defeat?**
In a written statement, Keyamo maintained that Atiku’s persistent antagonism towards the president originates from an entrenched refusal to accept the outcome of the 2023 presidential election.
He further asserted that the [African Democratic Congress](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Democratic_Congress) (ADC) presidential candidate feels outmaneuvered by Tinubu, who captured the nation’s highest office on his first attempt after both men followed parallel, decades‑long political paths.
“It is now very obvious that Atiku Abubakar is a pained and very bitter fellow. The pain and bitterness stems from the fact that he feels President Bola Ahmed Tinubu finally outsmarted him politically to get the most coveted position of President and he can’t mentally deal with this fact,” Keyamo said.
Tracing their political ties back to when Tinubu served as Governor of Lagos State and Atiku served as Vice President, Keyamo observed that Atiku was once viewed as higher in the political pecking order.
However, he noted that through “fate, luck, divine intervention, and political dexterity,” Tinubu clinched the nation’s top office—a goal Atiku has pursued since 1993.
Keyamo further called on those close to the former Vice President to offer him support rather than encouraging his public outbursts, adding that Atiku’s posture risks alienating his remaining supporters as he moves toward “political oblivion.”
Invoking Ecclesiastes 9:11 to emphasize that political power is governed by divine timing, he declared that Atiku “urgently needs mental health support at this critical time.”