Minister Festus Keyamo’s statement that “heavens will not fall” if Atiku Abubakar is absent from the 2027 ballot is technically true but politically tone-deaf. Of course heaven will not fall—but that is not the point.
The point is that Keyamo, like Wike before him, speaks as though the presidency is a protected family asset and any challenger is an intruder to be dismissed with a wave of the hand.First, the Constitution of Nigeria allows every qualified citizen to contest for the presidency. There is no law that guarantees an incumbent a second term. So Atiku Abubakar, or any other eligible Nigerian, has the constitutional right to be on that ballot.Second, heaven will not fall if President Tinubu loses in 2027 as well. He will not be the first sitting president to lose an election. President Goodluck Jonathan lost in 2015, and Nigeria did not collapse. That is the beauty of democracy — the people decide, and the loser accepts.Third, if the President has truly performed well, why should anyone fear the opposition? Good results speak for themselves. A government that delivers on the economy, security and the cost of living does not need to push others aside to win again.Finally, history teaches us a hard lesson. Governments that show dictatorial tendencies — silencing opponents, weakening institutions and treating power as an inheritance — eventually fall. Every time.So my message is simple: let every eligible Nigerian test their popularity at the polls. Whoever wins, wins. Whoever loses, accepts. That is democracy. Nigeria is nobody’s personal property.
*Ademola Akinnola* *Public Affairs Commentator & Advocate for Good Governance* 📞 08067526682
