ABUJA, Nigeria – On Sunday, May 31, 2026, Nigeria’s Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly reject a 2027 presidential nomination offered by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party.
Okay News reports that the faction, led by Tanimu Turaki, announced the former president as its candidate despite not being recognized by Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission.
Reacting in a post on the social media platform X at 2:37 p.m. WAT, Keyamo criticized the individuals behind the nomination. Keyamo said, “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.”
The minister questioned the legitimacy of the group offering the presidential ticket. “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,” Keyamo said.
He urged the former president to decline the nomination to protect his international reputation. Keyamo said, “For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement, lest Nigerians begin to recall the ‘clueless’ campaign that got him out of power – first sitting President to be so ousted.”
Jonathan has not publicly responded to the nomination announced by the faction.
