Aviation Minister says constitutional limits and PDP’s internal crisis make any comeback bid by ex-president legally untenable

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has insisted that former President Goodluck Jonathan cannot legally contest the 2027 presidential election, arguing that Nigeria’s constitution clearly blocks any such move.

Speaking during an interview with Vanguard on Sunday, Keyamo dismissed growing speculation about Jonathan’s possible return to power, stating that any attempt to re-enter the race would almost certainly be struck down by the Supreme Court.

He maintained that the constitutional two-term limit remains a major hurdle, given that Jonathan first assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, before going on to win a full term in 2011 and serving until 2015.

According to Keyamo, the legal position is straightforward. He stressed that the courts would likely uphold the constitutional restriction, effectively ending any ambition Jonathan may have of contesting again.

The minister also tied Jonathan’s reported interest to the ongoing leadership crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), particularly the faction allegedly led by Kabir Turaki. He argued that the faction lacks the legal standing to field candidates, further complicating the former president’s prospects.

Keyamo warned that aligning with a disputed party structure could expose Jonathan to additional legal and political setbacks, describing the situation as a “double setback” for the former leader.

“Jonathan is not constitutionally eligible to run, it is as simple as that. The Supreme Court will most likely disqualify him,” Keyamo said, adding that the PDP faction being linked to the former president may not even be recognised under the law.

Debate over Jonathan’s eligibility has lingered for years, largely due to his completion of Yar’Adua’s unfinished tenure before serving a full term. Many constitutional lawyers argue that this sequence effectively exhausts the two-term limit prescribed by the 1999 Constitution, making any future presidential bid legally contentious.