Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to publicly distance himself from reports linking him to a presidential ticket allegedly being promoted by a political group.
In a statement posted on his X account, Keyamo described the development as a "bizarre comedy" and criticized those behind the move for allegedly dragging the former president into what he called a political charade.
According to the minister, it was inappropriate for individuals who are not recognized political actors to purportedly offer a presidential ticket to Jonathan by proxy.
"This is some kind of bizarre comedy taken too far by supposedly grown adults and some names that were actually in the corridors of power at some point in this country," Keyamo said.
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He questioned the credibility of those involved, noting that they were not even registered political actors under the platform of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
"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. Quite sad," he stated.
Keyamo further called on Jonathan to immediately clarify his position on the matter to prevent any misconceptions about his involvement.
"For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must immediately issue a strong 'No, thank you' statement," he said.
The minister warned that failure to do so could reignite public discussions about Jonathan's administration and the circumstances surrounding his defeat in the 2015 presidential election.
"Lest Nigerians begin to recall the 'clueless' campaign that got him out of power -- the first sitting president to be so ousted," Keyamo added.
The comments come amid growing speculation over Jonathan's political future following reports that a group was seeking to draft the former president into a fresh presidential bid.
As of the time of filing this report, Jonathan had not publicly responded to the calls or addressed the reports linking him to the alleged presidential ticket.