Keyamo Warns PDP of Legal, Strategic Risks Ahead of 2027 Presidential Race

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has cautioned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could face major setbacks in its 2027 presidential ambitions if it fields either former President Goodluck Jonathan or ex-Governor of Anambra State Peter Obi as its candidate.

In a detailed post on his official X handle on Sunday, Keyamo argued that the party is still grappling with the fallout of its 2023 decision not to zone its ticket to the South — a move he said weakened PDP’s support base in the South-South and South-East.

He warned that nominating Jonathan would expose the opposition to a constitutional challenge under Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which bars anyone sworn in twice as president from contesting again.

“If he is fielded, the Party runs the risk of not having a candidate at all,” Keyamo wrote, stressing that such a dispute would inevitably be resolved at the Supreme Court.

“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.”

The minister said PDP would have itself to blame if it ignored the legal hazard and later lost its candidacy after the close of nominations.

Keyamo also dismissed the chances of the party successfully rallying behind a South-West aspirant, saying a fresh Yoruba contender eligible for two full terms would struggle against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the region while failing to attract votes from other parts of the country.

Turning to Obi, the minister argued that a return to the PDP by the former Labour Party presidential candidate would not guarantee wider appeal. He suggested that Obi’s past pledge to serve only one term and questions about his credibility could weaken enthusiasm among his core 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,” Keyamo noted.

Concluding his assessment, the minister described PDP’s current difficulties as the product of its “original sin” of abandoning zoning in 2023.

He said without extraordinary developments, the opposition may not stand a strong chance at the presidency until 2031.

The PDP has yet to respond to Keyamo’s remarks formally.

Punch