Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK), has sarcastically challenged opposition politicians and their supporters to account for the number of people killed on election day to substantiate any future claims of electoral rigging.
Keyamo made the statement on Thursday morning, November 5, 2026, via his official X (formerly Twitter) platform. His comments came in response to an emerging political slogan, “rig and die,” which has gained traction among opposition political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reacting to threats from opposition figures that anyone attempting to rig the upcoming 2027 polls would be killed, Keyamo argued that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and the broader public should embrace the phrase. ”The new buzz phrase ‘rig and die’ should excite all of us and we should all embrace it,” Keyamo stated.
“The simple reason is that when those who are now trumpeting it lose woefully in a free and fair context, it will be impossible for them to hide their humiliation at the polls under the guise of ‘rigging’ as they have always done.” Continuing his critique, the Minister offered a sarcastic challenge to opposition leaders who routinely allege electoral manipulation after suffering defeat.
”This is because we will ask them how many ‘riggers’ they killed on the election day, because the number of those killed by them should be directly proportional to the amount of ‘rigging’ that took place!” Keyamo added. “In other words, they need to show how many people they killed to prove the election was rigged!! Chai!!” Keyamo’s Thursday comments follow a separate statement issued on Tuesday, November 3, 2026.
In that earlier release, the Minister accused opposition politicians of inciting “hapless citizens and thugs to take up weapons to kill one another” under the guise of “protecting their votes,” while safely ferrying their own children abroad.
He cited warnings previously given by former President Muhammadu Buhari ahead of the 2019 general elections, urging Nigerians not to allow politicians to use them as cannon fodder.
As political tensions mount ahead of the 2027 general elections, neither opposition party spokespersons nor political coalitions have officially responded to the Minister’s latest statements.
