Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Olorogun Festus Keyamo, SAN, has strongly criticized the National Democratic Coalition, known as National Democratic Coalition, over its decision to zone its 2027 presidential ticket to the South, describing the move as a political trick meant to mislead Nigerians.
He said the zoning arrangement has no real value and accused it of being a deceptive political strategy that cannot be trusted or enforced in practice. He also argued that internal party decisions can be easily reversed by party leadership, making such promises unreliable to voters, and referenced a scenario involving Peter Obi changing party affiliation and potentially influencing a reversal of the zoning decision if he were in control of the party structure.
Keyamo also stated that former president Goodluck Jonathan is not constitutionally qualified to contest the presidency again. He maintained that Jonathan’s previous service in office makes him ineligible under the provisions of the 1999 Constitution, adding that any attempt to return to the race would likely fail if challenged in court, including at the Supreme Court level.
He further linked Jonathan’s reported political interest to the internal crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party, pointing to a factional dispute involving the Turaki Umar group. According to his position, that faction does not have valid legal authority to present candidates, which he said creates additional complications for any presidential ambition tied to it.
Keyamo described the combination of constitutional concerns and party instability as a major setback, suggesting that any attempt by Jonathan to pursue the presidency would amount to a symbolic or academic exercise rather than a realistic political contest.
He concluded that the zoning decision by the National Democratic Coalition is not a credible political commitment and should not be taken seriously by Nigerians preparing for the 2027 elections.
