-Aviation Minister Cites Legal, Political Risks for Opposition Party
-Says Jonathan’s Candidacy Jeopardized by Constitutional Amendment
Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, has raised serious concerns about the People’s Democratic Party’s (PDP) chances in the 2027 presidential race, warning the opposition party against fielding either former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-governor Peter Obi as its candidate.
In a detailed post shared on his X account on Sunday, Keyamo criticized the PDP for its failure to zone the 2023 presidential ticket to the South, a decision he argued cost the party vital support in the South-South and South-East regions. According to the minister, the PDP’s refusal to zone the ticket to the South was a strategic blunder that undermined its chances in these historically supportive regions.
Keyamo’s most significant concern was the legal obstacle posed by Jonathan’s potential candidacy. He highlighted a constitutional risk related to section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which could prevent anyone who has served two terms as president from contesting again. Keyamo pointed out that if the PDP fields Jonathan, it risks running into a legal challenge that could result in the party having no candidate at all. He explained that the constitutional amendment was made after the court had cleared Jonathan to run in 2015, making the legal situation uncertain.
“The constitutional amendment was made after the court judgment which cleared him (Jonathan) to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment. All the arguments as to whether the section can be interpreted to affect him will not be decided on Social Media, but at the Supreme Court,” Keyamo said. He emphasized that if Jonathan is barred from contesting after the nominations close, it would be a major blow for the PDP, and the party would be solely responsible for ignoring the potential legal challenge.
Keyamo also criticized the PDP’s chances in the South-West, suggesting that if the party fields a Yoruba candidate, it would struggle to garner support from other regions. He explained that a fresh Yoruba candidate eligible for two terms would face stiff competition from the well-established structures of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the South-West, making it difficult for the PDP to secure a majority across at least three to four regions needed to win the presidency.
On Peter Obi, the former Labour Party candidate, Keyamo dismissed the idea of his inclusion as a solution to the PDP’s woes. He suggested that Obi’s credibility was in question, and his past pledge to serve only one term as president could erode support among his core supporters, the ‘Obidients.’ Keyamo warned that such a move could alienate the principled members of the group, who might view his decision to join the PDP as a betrayal of his previous position.
“The principled ones amongst the ‘obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit … and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore,” Keyamo wrote.
In his conclusion, Keyamo attributed the PDP’s current predicament to its “original sin” of not zoning the 2023 presidential ticket to the South. He acknowledged that while some might mock zoning sentiments on social media, it remains a significant factor in Nigerian politics. Unless something extraordinary happens, Keyamo suggested that the PDP may have to wait until 2031 for a real shot at the presidency.
