Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has declared that Nigeria will not suffer any catastrophe if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar does not contest the 2027 presidential election.
Keyamo made the remarks while reacting to Thursday’s Federal High Court judgment which nullified the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) led by former Senate President David Mark and invalidated the processes leading to the emergence of the party’s candidates.
The minister recalled how Atiku reacted to Supreme Court judgments that overturned the electoral victories of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Bayelsa and Zamfara States.
In Bayelsa, the Supreme Court, in February 2020, nullified the election of APC governorship candidate David Lyon, a day before his scheduled inauguration, over issues surrounding the academic credentials of his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo.
The ruling paved the way for the inauguration of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Douye Diri, as governor.
Keyamo also cited the Supreme Court’s January 2019 judgment on the Zamfara State elections, which nullified the victories of APC candidates across the state over the party’s failure to conduct valid primaries within the stipulated period.
Consequently, PDP candidates who came second in the elections were declared winners.
In a social media post, Keyamo said the APC accepted both judgments despite their political implications without attacking the judiciary.
He also recalled Atiku’s reaction to the Zamfara judgment, quoting the former vice-president as saying that political actors should accept court decisions rather than attack judges.
Drawing parallels with the current political situation ahead of the 2027 general elections, the minister argued that the same standard should apply regardless of whose political interests are affected.
Keyamo further cautioned against attempts to intimidate judges and discredit the judiciary over electoral decisions that do not favour certain political interests.
“You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way,” he said.
The minister maintained that Atiku’s possible absence from the 2027 presidential ballot should not be portrayed as a threat to Nigeria’s stability.
“Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027,” Keyamo declared.
His comments come amid growing political realignments and disagreements among opposition parties over their strategies and preparations for the 2027 general elections.
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