By Ibrahim Kegbegbe
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly reject the presidential ticket reportedly offered to him by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the 2027 general election.
Keyamo argued that the PDP faction responsible for the nomination is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), describing the development as a political exercise lacking legitimacy.
The minister’s reaction followed the announcement by a PDP faction led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, naming Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election.
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In a post on his X account, Keyamo criticised the move, describing it as an attempt to involve the former president in what he called a political charade.
“This is some kind of bizarre comedy taken too far by supposedly grown adults and some names that were actually in the corridors of power at some point in this country,” he wrote.
He further questioned the legitimacy of the nomination, noting that the group behind the decision is not listed among recognised political entities by INEC.
“Giving a whole Presidential ticket to an ex-President and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC’s website,” Keyamo stated.
The Merit Newspaper reports that the y56minister expressed concern that the development could affect Jonathan’s reputation and standing, urging the former president to distance himself from the nomination.
“For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement,” he said.
Keyamo added that failure to respond promptly could revive political criticisms associated with Jonathan’s administration and distract from his current status as an elder statesman on the African continent.
The former president has yet to publicly respond to the nomination or Keyamo’s remarks.
