2027 Elections: PDP’s reliance on Jonathan or Obi could backfire – Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has cautioned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be heading for another major setback in 2027 if it places its hopes on former President Goodluck Jonathan or former Anambra State governor, Peter Obi, as presidential candidates.

In a detailed post shared on his X handle on Sunday, Keyamo described the opposition party’s situation as “non-enviable,” blaming its woes on the failure to zone its 2023 presidential ticket to the South.

“In 2023, PDP lacked the balls to deliberately zone its Presidential ticket to the South, so it woefully lost its decades-long stranglehold on the S/South and S/East, the two of its most loyal regions since 1999,” Keyamo wrote.

He noted that although the PDP has now zoned its 2027 ticket to the South, the option of Jonathan carried a serious constitutional hurdle.

“One of its attractive targets as a Presidential candidate is ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, because of his purported eligibility to run for only one term. But, if he is fielded, the Party runs the RISK of NOT HAVING A CANDIDATE AT ALL by virtue of section 137 (3) of the 1999 Constitution (Fourth Amendment),” he warned.

Keyamo explained that the amendment barring anyone sworn in twice as president from seeking another term was introduced after Jonathan’s 2015 eligibility case.

“All the arguments as to whether the section can be interpreted to affect him will not be decided on Social Media, but at the Supreme Court. If he is barred from running AFTER nominations have closed and the PDP is declared as having no candidate, nobody should scream ‘judiciary is corrupt’ because such a large party saw the judicial danger ahead and deliberately ignored it,” he cautioned.

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The minister also dismissed the idea of a South-West candidate emerging under the PDP, insisting such a move would weaken the party further.

“If the PDP decides to field its most attractive S/West candidate, no other region of the country will vote for a fresh Yoruba candidate who would be eligible for fresh two terms in office. And that candidate will battle with the well-oiled APC structures in the S/West,” he stated.

Turning to Obi, the 2023 Labour Party presidential candidate, Keyamo argued that even if the PDP succeeded in luring him back, his appeal would likely diminish.

“If the PDP woos back Peter Obi, scenario three above will still apply to him, hence all his shout of serving one-term of recent. In addition, the principled ones amongst the ‘obidients’ will see him as going back to his vomit of ‘structure of criminality’ and may not be too vociferous in their support anymore,” he wrote.

Keyamo concluded that the PDP’s predicament is rooted in its missteps before the 2023 elections, and warned that zoning remains an unavoidable reality in Nigerian politics.

“The young social media warriors may lampoon anyone talking about these zoning sentiments, but that is the REALITY of our politics and it is not about to end. EXCEPT something EXTRAORDINARY happens, the Party may have to wait till 2031,” he declared.

Source: RipplesNigeria | Read the Full Story…