The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has reacted to a viral video showing a man using what appeared to be a machete to destroy campaign posters bearing the images of President Bola Tinubu and Vice-President Kashim Shettima.

The video, which also featured graphics with the inscription, “Tinubu Must Go”, showed the man tearing down multiple posters mounted on a wall.

Reacting to the video on Friday on X, Keyamo described the incident as a planned propaganda stunt, noting that the man was sponsored by opposition elements to create the impression that the President had lost public support.

He said the deliberate recording and circulation of the incident suggested that it was designed to generate a particular political narrative ahead of the 2027 general election.

“Here is a sponsored thug of the opposition brandishing a weapon, destroying the posters of the ruling party somewhere in the country. It is planned as a propaganda stunt because someone deliberately set a camera to record and circulate it,” Keyamo said.

He alleged that similar incidents had been deliberately staged in some parts of the country and were being presented as evidence that Tinubu had been rejected by Nigerians.

“The interpretation and spin given to these incidents is that the President has been ‘rejected’ by ‘angry’ Nigerians,” the minister said.

Keyamo also criticised what he described as different reactions to similar incidents involving opposition campaign posters.

He referred to an incident in Lagos State the previous week, where he said two or three people were seen using Tinubu’s posters to cover those of an opposition party.

While saying such conduct was also unacceptable, Keyamo alleged that some television programmes and blogs had described those involved as “thugs of the ruling party” and amplified the incident as evidence of intimidation and threats to democracy.

He said his comments should not be interpreted as a call for supporters of the All Progressives Congress to retaliate.

“This is not a call on the teeming APC supporters to retaliate in any form, but this should prick the conscience of all men of goodwill,” he said.

The minister further alleged that the opposition was using such incidents to portray the ruling party negatively ahead of the 2027 elections.

“The script and propaganda tactics of the opposition is clear: make the ruling party look so bad and unelectable as a basis of rejecting their apparent defeat come January, 16, 2027,” Keyamo said.

He also referred to recent bye-elections, claiming that opposition parties had suffered defeats in elections held in five regions of the country.

Keyamo said he expected the same outcome for the opposition in the 2027 presidential election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections.