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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has said Nigeria will not suffer any crisis if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is not on the ballot for the 2027 presidential election.
Keyamo made the statement in a post on X on Friday while reacting to a Federal High Court judgment that nullified Atiku’s nomination as the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
The court also ruled against the David Mark-led caretaker leadership of the party, a decision that has drawn reactions from opposition figures and supporters.
In his reaction, Keyamo accused opposition parties of taking inconsistent positions on court judgments. He argued that political parties should respect judicial decisions even when the outcomes do not favour them.
The minister recalled the Supreme Court’s 2019 judgment that nullified the election victories of APC candidates in Zamfara State and declared their PDP opponents winners.
Atiku, who contested the 2019 presidential election on the PDP platform, had welcomed the ruling at the time.
In a statement released through his media adviser, Paul Ibe, the former vice-president described the judgment as a victory for the rule of law.
“Nothing is as pleasing to the ears of believers, as justice being served in the holy month of Ramadan,” Atiku said.
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Keyamo also referred to the Supreme Court’s February 13, 2020, judgment that removed David Lyon as Bayelsa governor-elect, a day before his scheduled inauguration. The decision cleared the way for the PDP candidate, Douye Diri, to become governor.
According to Keyamo, the APC accepted both judgments without attacking the judiciary, and opposition parties should show the same respect for the courts.
“You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way,” he said.
The minister then made his position on Atiku’s possible exclusion from the 2027 election clear, declaring: “Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027.”
In Thursday’s ruling, Justice Peter Lifu held that the Mark-led caretaker committee was illegal and upheld the position of Nafiu Bala, a former ADC national deputy chairman from the North-East.
The judge also nullified decisions taken by the caretaker committee, including Atiku’s nomination as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 election.
In an earlier response to the judgment, Keyamo said the decision showed that court cases should be determined by facts and evidence, not political sentiments. He also accused Atiku and the Mark-led leadership of attempting to take control of the ADC unlawfully.
