*Says “Heavens Will Not Fall If Atiku Is Not On The Ballot In 2027”
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The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, SAN, has declared that Nigeria’s democracy will not collapse if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is excluded from the ballot for the 2027 presidential election, insisting that political actors must respect judicial decisions even when such rulings go against their interests.
Keyamo made the statement on Friday, November 6, 2026, while reacting to the Federal High Court judgment nullifying the leadership of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) under former Senate President David Mark and invalidating the presidential nomination of Atiku.
The minister criticised what he described as attempts to intimidate judges and discredit the judiciary whenever court decisions affect the political ambitions of influential individuals.
He recalled previous Supreme Court judgments in Bayelsa and Zamfara states, where the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) lost governorship and other elective positions following judicial decisions.
According to Keyamo, the APC accepted those judgments despite their political consequences, maintaining that opposition politicians should demonstrate the same respect for the judiciary.
“You cannot abuse judges and blackmail the judiciary when it doesn’t go your way,” he stated.
The minister added, “Heavens WILL NOT FALL IF A CERTAIN ATIKU ABUBAKAR IS NOT ON THE BALLOT IN 2027.”
Keyamo’s remarks followed Thursday’s judgment delivered by Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja, which declared the Mark-led caretaker leadership of the ADC unlawful.
The court also invalidated decisions taken under the disputed leadership, including the presidential primary that produced Atiku as the party’s candidate for the January 2027 election.
The judgment arose from a suit instituted by former ADC Deputy National Chairman, North-East, Nafiu Bala Gombe, who challenged the emergence of Mark and other members of the party’s caretaker leadership.
Gombe argued that the leadership arrangement violated the ADC constitution and applicable electoral laws.
Reacting to the controversy, Keyamo maintained that court decisions should be assessed on their legal merits rather than political sentiments.
He accused some opposition figures of portraying every unfavourable judicial decision as an attempt by the ruling party to undermine democracy.
The minister recalled the Supreme Court’s February 13, 2020, judgment that nullified the election of David Lyon, the APC governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, barely 24 hours before his scheduled inauguration.
Lyon had been declared the winner of the November 16, 2019, governorship election, but the Supreme Court disqualified his running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, over the submission of false information to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The apex court held that the disqualification affected the joint governorship ticket and consequently ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to the APC candidates.
The decision paved the way for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Douye Diri, to emerge as governor.
Keyamo also referred to the Supreme Court’s May 24, 2019, judgment that invalidated the victories of APC candidates in Zamfara State.
In that case, the apex court held that the APC failed to conduct valid primary elections within the stipulated period and consequently had no valid candidates for the affected elections.
The judgment affected the governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections, with eligible candidates of the PDP who came next in the polls benefiting from the ruling.
Keyamo maintained that both judgments demonstrated that the judiciary could deliver decisions against the ruling party and that such outcomes should not automatically be interpreted as political interference.
He further recalled Atiku’s reaction to the Zamfara judgment, arguing that the former Vice-President had previously encouraged political actors to accept court decisions rather than attack judges when judgments went against their interests.
The minister questioned why a different standard should now apply because the latest decision affected Atiku’s presidential ambition.
He insisted that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy should not be tied to the participation of any particular politician in an election.
Keyamo also maintained that the ADC remained a political party with members and original leaders whose rights deserved protection, regardless of the ambitions of politicians who recently joined its ranks.
He had earlier accused the Mark-led leadership of taking over the party without following the necessary constitutional procedures, including obtaining approval through the appropriate party organs.
According to him, political parties must comply with their constitutions and electoral laws, irrespective of the prominence of individuals seeking leadership positions or elective offices.
The minister rejected allegations that the APC was responsible for the ADC’s legal difficulties, arguing that disputes arising from non-compliance with party rules should be addressed through lawful judicial processes.
However, Atiku and the Mark-led ADC have rejected the Federal High Court judgment and announced plans to challenge it before the Court of Appeal.
The opposition party has also alleged that the timing of the ruling, shortly after Atiku’s campaign rally in Sokoto, raised questions about political interference.
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