“2027: Keyamo Cautions PDP Against Risky Choices, PDP Hits Back”
Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that selecting either former President Goodluck Jonathan or former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as its presidential candidate in 2027 could pose serious risks for the opposition party.
Constitutional Questions
Keyamo drew attention to Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which bars any individual who has been sworn in twice as president from contesting again.
He argued that fielding Jonathan—who completed a term following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 and won re-election in 2011—would expose the PDP to constitutional challenges. Such a scenario, he warned, could leave the party without a valid candidate once the matter inevitably reaches the Supreme Court.
Electoral Risks for the PDP
The minister also suggested that nominating a fresh Yoruba candidate would not favor the PDP politically. According to him, other regions would be unlikely to back another South-West candidate eligible to run for two full terms after President Bola Tinubu’s tenure.
Keyamo stressed that ignoring these realities could amount to the PDP “gambling with its survival” in the 2027 elections.
PDP Pushes Back
In response, the PDP dismissed Keyamo’s remarks, insisting that he has no role in deciding its candidate. Timothy Osadolor, the party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, described the minister’s comments as “self-serving and unbecoming of a public servant.”
Osadolor argued that the PDP, as an opposition party, owes no loyalty to Keyamo or the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). He maintained that candidate selection remains the exclusive preserve of the party.
PDP’s Confidence in 2027
Going further, Osadolor expressed confidence that the next general election would be defined not by personalities but by a broad contest between Nigerians and what he called “the ruling cabal that has impoverished citizens.”
He accused the APC-led government of presiding over economic hardship, rising insecurity, and deteriorating infrastructure, while failing to guarantee the safety and welfare of ordinary Nigerians.
“The people are ready to challenge this government at the ballot box in 2027,” he asserted, signaling the PDP’s determination to remain a strong opposition force.