Festus Keyamo Calls on Jonathan to Publicly Reject Reported Draft Presidential Bid

Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development Festus Keyamo urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to issue a public statement distancing himself from reports that an unregistered political group is promoting a presidential ticket for him. Keyamo posted the statement on his X account on 1 June 2026.

" Keyamo said it was inappropriate for individuals not recognized as political actors to offer a presidential ticket to Jonathan by proxy.

He noted that the people involved were not registered political actors under the Independent National Electoral Commission. "Giving a whole presidential ticket to an ex-president and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC's website. And they don't give a hoot dragging such a revered figure into their charade that is certainly a journey to nowhere," Keyamo wrote.

He called on Jonathan to issue an immediate "No, thank you" statement. Keyamo said the clarification was needed for the sake of Jonathan's global image. The minister warned that without such a statement, Nigerians might recall the "clueless" campaign associated with Jonathan's 2015 election loss.

He referred to that defeat as the first time a sitting president had been ousted. The comments followed reports that a group was seeking to draft Jonathan into a fresh presidential bid. As of 1 June 2026, Jonathan had not publicly responded to the reports or to Keyamo's statement.