Jonathan: Senior Advocate of Nigeria Explains Why PDP Runs Risk of Not Having Candidate at All
- The minister of aviation, Festus Keyamo, advised the PDP against fielding former President Goodluck Jonathan as its candidate in the 2027 election
- Keyamo stated that the opposition risks serious consequences in the upcoming election if it relies on Jonathan as its candidate
- The minister stated that nominating Jonathan carries a constitutional danger tied to section 137(3) of the 1999 charter (as amended)
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, election, and governance in Nigeria.
FCT, Abuja - Ahead of the 2027 election, Festus Keyamo, minister of aviation and aerospace development, on Sunday, August 31, said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) commited a "sin" in the 2023 election "by lacking the balls to zone its presidential ticket to the south."
In a tweet via his verified X (formerly Twitter) page, Keyamo, a chieftain of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated that zoning sentiments is "the reality of our politics and it is not about to end."
Source: Twitter
Commenting on the decision of the PDP to zone its presidential ticket to the south ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the minister declared that except something extraordinary happens, the opposition party may have to still wait till 2031 to regain power.
He also shared his thoughts on former President Goodluck Jonathan, who has mentioned as a potential PDP candidate in the 2027 election.
Legit.ng reports that Jonathan was Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015, taking over from former President Musa Yar’Adua, after the latter’s death in 2010. He contested for the presidency in 2011 but lost to Muhammadu Buhari (of blessed memory) in the 2015 election.
But 10 years after he left office, calls for GEJ, as Jonathan is fondly addressed, to contest the 2027 presidential election have continued to grow with certain chieftains of the main opposition PDP wooing him to team up with the party.
Recently, Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi state said the party’s door is open for Jonathan to enter the PDP presidential race. Mohammed, the chairman of the PDP Governors’ Forum, described Jonathan as one the “most celebrated politicians today,” adding that he believes that the former Nigerian leader will be a good fit for the party’s presidential ticket.
Mohammed said:
“Certainly, (former) President Jonathan is one of the candidates we are thinking of, if he joins us and opens his mind to run."
'Jonathan, PDP's attractive target'
Jonathan was president under the PDP but has since his defeat in 2015, stayed away from partisan politics. However, he is yet to resign his membership of the party.
Legit.ng reports that the battle over who picks the PDP presidential ticket in the 2027 election has officially begun.
With the presidential ticket zoned to the south, Keyamo, a senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), asserted that "the position of PDP is not an enviable one at all."
Part of a lenghty statement he shared on his social media account explored the legal perspective.
It reads:
"One of its (PDP's) attractive targets as a presidential candidate is ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, because of his purported eligibility to run for only one term. But, if he is fielded, the party runs the risk of not having a candidate at all by virtue of section 137 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (Fourth Amendment). The constitutional amendment was made after the court judgment which cleared him to run in 2015, so nothing is decided yet on that new amendment, hence I use the word ‘risk’ advisedly."
Source: Facebook
Keyamo added:
"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. If he is barred from running after nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it."
'Jonathan may be unable to beat Tinubu'
Meanwhile, a political analyst, Segun Akinleye, said he has observed with keen interest the growing speculation surrounding the possible return of former President Jonathan to the 2027 presidential race.
In a chat with Legit.ng, Akinleye noted that the former president’s political relevance in unseating President Bola Tinubu remained in doubt.
He said:
"With all due respect, GEJ is not Atiku Abubakar or Peter Obi.
"The former president’s political relevance has been complicated by his recent engagements across party lines. His flirtation with the APC and absence from PDP’s strategic rebuilding efforts raise questions about his loyalty, clarity of vision, and political intentions."
PDP: 2027 potential running mates
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the PDP is looking to select a running mate for anyone who emerges its presidential flagbearer.
It is being said that northern politicians are viewed as suitable running mates for the imminent southern presidential candidate.
Source: Legit.ng
