Keyamo Says Nigeria Can Move On Without Atiku in 2027 Election

(Festus Keyamo And Atiku Abubakar. Photo by Pulse Nigeria)
Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo says Nigeria would not face any disaster if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is kept off the 2027 presidential ballot.

Keyamo made the remark in a post online, on Friday.

He was responding to Thursday's Federal High Court judgment, which cancelled Atiku's nomination as the African Democratic Congress, ADC, presidential candidate.

The ruling also removed the David Mark led leadership of the party.

He wrote, "Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027."

Keyamo also questioned why opposition parties attack the courts when rulings go against them.

He said political actors should respect court decisions whether or not they help them.

"You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn't go your way," he said.

To make his point, he pointed to a 2019 Supreme Court ruling.

That ruling overturned APC wins in Zamfara State, from governor down to the state assembly, and declared the PDP candidates the winners.

Atiku, who ran for president on the PDP ticket that year, welcomed that ruling at the time.

He also cited a February 13, 2020 Supreme Court decision.

It cancelled the election of APC governorship candidate David Lyon in Bayelsa State, a day before he was due to be sworn in.

That ruling paved the way for PDP candidate Douye Diri to take office.

Keyamo said the APC accepted that decision calmly, without attacking the judiciary.

He added that the judgment reinforces the principle that legal decisions should be based on facts and evidence, not feelings.

He also accused Atiku and the Mark led leadership of trying to take over the party unlawfully, warning that such moves could have serious consequences.

On February 13, 2020, when the Supreme Court nullified the victory of the APC Governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, David Lyon, a day to his swearing in (when he was in fact inspecting the stadium to be used), the APC took it with equanimity on the chin. When the Supreme Court in 2019 stripped all the APC victorious candidates from top to bottom (Governor to House of Assembly) of their victories at the polls in Zamfara State and replaced them with the PDP candidates that all lost at the polls, this is what Atiku Abubakar said at the time.👇👇That judgment was against the ruling party. We took it on our chins. You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way. Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027.

— Festus Keyamo, SAN, CON, FCIArb (UK) (@fkeyamo) November 6, 2026