Heaven gained’t fall if Atiku is lacking from 2027 poll – Keyamo

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has mentioned Nigeria is not going to endure any main consequence if former Vice President Atiku Abubakar is absent from the poll for the 2027 presidential election.

The minister spoke on Friday throughout an interview on Frontline, a present affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese-Ijebu.

He was responding to questions on his earlier remark that heaven wouldn’t fall if Atiku didn’t seem on the poll in 2027, amid the management disaster rocking the African Democratic Congress, ADC.

“Not having Atiku on the ballot in 2027 should not be presented as a threat to the country’s democracy,” Keyamo mentioned.

Keyamo recalled that the APC had confronted the same scenario in Zamfara when the court docket eliminated its elected governor, deputy governor, senators and members of the National and State Assemblies.

He mentioned the social gathering accepted the court docket’s determination with out suggesting that the nation would collapse.

“Heaven did not fall when the same court sacked all our candidates in Zamfara a few years ago. Not just candidates who had won elections. The governor, the deputy governor, all members of the House of Assembly, all the senators and all members of the House of Representatives. I’m talking from top to bottom. They were all sacked,” he mentioned.

“Why should similar court decisions involving opposition parties now be described as political interference? The judiciary should be allowed to handle complaints brought before it,” he mentioned.

The minister maintained that the court docket was responding to complaints by some ADC members who claimed they’d been denied their rights throughout the social gathering’s management disaster.

According to him, the grievances of those that alleged they have been displaced shouldn’t be ignored just because outstanding politicians resembling Atiku and former Senate President David Mark have been concerned within the dispute.

Keyamo additionally denied claims that President Bola Tinubu was chargeable for the disaster within the ADC, saying the President had no position within the social gathering’s inside affairs.

“APC has no responsibility to help opposition parties resolve their internal disagreements. The more they are in disarray, the better for us. We will simply watch from a distance and will not have a hand in it,” Keyamo mentioned.

On the APC’s place forward of the 2027 election, Keyamo mentioned the ruling social gathering would favor Atiku and former Anambra State Governor, Peter Obi, to contest individually fairly than permit opposition politicians to unite behind one candidate.

“It is in our interest that Atiku Abubakar and Obi run, so that all opposition will not gather under one umbrella,” he mentioned.

He urged opposition politicians to current their grievances earlier than the courts and permit the judiciary to find out the disputes with out strain.