The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly reject the presidential nomination reportedly offered to him by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Keyamo made the appeal on Sunday, arguing that the faction responsible for the nomination is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The development follows the announcement by a PDP faction led by Tanimu Turaki, which named Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The nomination came just weeks after another PDP faction reportedly backed by Nyesom Wike endorsed Sandy Onor as its presidential flag bearer.
Reacting through a post on X, Keyamo described the situation as a “bizarre comedy” and criticised those behind the move.
“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.
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The minister questioned the legitimacy of the nomination, stressing that the group behind it does not have official recognition from INEC.
He further accused the organisers of dragging Jonathan into what he described as a political charade, despite the former president’s status as a respected national and international figure.
“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. They are dragging such a revered figure into their charade that is certainly a journey to nowhere,” he stated.
Keyamo urged Jonathan to distance himself from the nomination to protect his reputation and public image.
According to him, a clear rejection of the offer would prevent unnecessary political controversy and speculation.
“For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement,” he added.
As of the time of filing this report, Jonathan has not publicly commented on the nomination announced by the Turaki-led PDP faction.
