The Nigerian political landscape is already heating up ahead of the 2027 general elections, and as usual, the drama is serving premium entertainment. The latest act features the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, who recently took it upon himself to offer unsolicited advice to former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan.

Keyamo publicly urged Jonathan to reject a 2027 presidential nomination ticket from a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). While the advice itself might look like “brotherly concern” on the surface, a quick look at the messenger reveals a massive case of political amnesia.

Let’s be real: Festus Keyamo simply lacks the moral authority to advise Goodluck Jonathan on political integrity, choices, or legacies. Here is why.

1. From “Jonathan Must Go” to Unsolicited Advisor

Lest we forget, Festus Keyamo was one of the loudest voices in the All Progressives Congress (APC) machinery that systematically deconstructed and demonized the Goodluck Jonathan administration leading up to the 2015 elections. For years, Keyamo and his political allies painted Jonathan as the root cause of Nigeria’s woes.

To turn around today and act like a protective guardian of Jonathan’s hard-earned democratic legacy is the definition of political irony. You cannot spend years trying to pull a man’s house down and then walk into the debris to advise him on how to arrange his furniture.

2. The Glass House Rule

There is a popular Nigerian saying: “Person wey dey live for glass house no dey throw stone.” Keyamo is a core serving minister in an APC administration that is currently facing intense scrutiny from Nigerians over the country’s economic realities.

Before looking across the aisle to fix the internal issues of a PDP faction, Keyamo’s primary focus should be the massive turbulence in his own backyard—starting with the aviation sector and the broader national challenges under his own party. Advising a statesman like Jonathan feels like a tactical distraction from pressing governance issues.

3. Jonathan’s Legacy is Already Solidified

Goodluck Jonathan’s place in history was sealed the moment he picked up the phone in 2015 to concede the election to Muhammadu Buhari, saving Nigeria from a predicted chaotic fallout. He is globally revered as an icon of peace and a champion of democracy.

Jonathan does not need a lecture from a partisan politician on how to preserve his reputation. Whether he chooses to run, decline, or remain an elder statesman is a decision he is more than qualified to make without a playbook written by the ruling party.

The Bottom Line:

In Nigerian politics, the lines between genuine advice and strategic panic are often blurred. Keyamo’s sudden “concern” for Jonathan looks less like altruism and more like early 2027 political mathematics. Jonathan knows exactly how to navigate his legacy—Keyamo should focus on navigating Nigeria’s airspace.