Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation, 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 ahead of the 2027 general election.
The faction, led by Kabiru Turaki, announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate during a gathering on Saturday, despite the former president not being present at the event. Jonathan has yet to confirm whether he intends to contest the election.
Reacting to the development, Keyamo described the move as a political “charade” and criticized the group for involving a former head of state in what he called an illegitimate process.
According to the minister, the faction lacks official recognition, arguing that only the PDP bloc aligned with Nyesom Wike is recognized by the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Keyamo stated that Jonathan should immediately distance himself from the nomination in order to preserve his reputation both within Nigeria and internationally.
He further argued that allowing the matter to linger without clarification could reignite public debate about Jonathan’s administration and the circumstances surrounding his defeat in the 2015 presidential election.
Although Jonathan was absent from the event, his certificate of return was reportedly received on his behalf by Fred Agbedi, a lawmaker from Bayelsa State.
The PDP faction has indicated that a date for the formal presentation of its party flag to Jonathan will be announced later.
The development has added another layer of intrigue to the evolving political landscape ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 presidential election.
