By Peter Omopo
31st August 2025
The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has cautioned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against presenting former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Anambra State governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027, warning that such choices could backfire politically and legally.
In a statement released via his X handle on Sunday, Keyamo argued that the opposition party has yet to recover from its decision not to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South—a move he said eroded its support in the South-South and South-East.
He warned that Jonathan’s potential candidacy could be invalidated under Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which bars anyone sworn in twice as president from seeking the office again.
“If he is fielded, the Party runs the RISK of NOT HAVING A CANDIDATE AT ALL,” Keyamo wrote, stressing that the issue would ultimately be resolved by the Supreme Court, not on social media debates. He added that the PDP would have itself to blame if the court disqualified Jonathan after the close of nominations.
The minister also dismissed the viability of a PDP candidate from the South-West, arguing that such a contender would face resistance from other regions and contend with the dominance of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the zone.
“You need a majority of at least three to four regions in Nigeria to win the Presidency,” he said.
On Obi, who contested the 2023 election under the Labour Party, Keyamo maintained that returning to the PDP would weaken his credibility and alienate some of his supporters.
“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,” he noted.
Concluding his assessment, Keyamo said the PDP’s current struggles stem from its “original sin” of abandoning zoning in 2023, warning that unless “something extraordinary happens,” the party may have to wait until 2031 for another realistic shot at the presidency.
The PDP has not officially responded to Keyamo’s remarks.
