Aviation and Aerospace Development Minister Festus Keyamo has asserted that Nigeria will remain stable if former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar is barred from contesting the 2027 presidential election. Keyamo shared this perspective on X following a Federal High Court ruling that invalidated Atiku's nomination as the presidential candidate for the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and nullified the David Mark-led leadership of the party.

The court decision has sparked widespread debate among political actors and opposition supporters. In response, Keyamo criticized what he termed the inconsistent stance of opposition figures toward judicial rulings, emphasizing that politicians must uphold court verdicts regardless of the outcome.

Drawing comparisons to past legal disputes, Keyamo referenced the 2019 Supreme Court ruling that disqualified All Progressives Congress (APC) candidates in Zamfara State and awarded the victories to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). He noted that Atiku, then the PDP presidential candidate, had publicly praised that verdict as a triumph for the rule of law. Furthermore, the minister mentioned the February 2020 Supreme Court judgment that nullified the election of APC governorship candidate David Lyon in Bayelsa State just a day before his inauguration, allowing the PDP's Douye Diri to assume office.

Keyamo highlighted that the APC accepted these unfavorable rulings without resorting to attacks on the judiciary, arguing that opposition parties should display the same respect instead of condemning judges when decisions do not favor them. He reiterated that leaders should avoid blackmailing the judicial system and firmly stated that the nation would experience no turmoil if Atiku was excluded from the upcoming presidential race.

The legal controversy stems from a ruling by Justice Peter Lifu, who declared the David Mark-led caretaker committee illegal and affirmed the position of Nafiu Bala, a former ADC national deputy chairman from the North-East. Consequently, the court voided all actions taken by the committee, including Atiku's presidential nomination. Following the verdict, Keyamo maintained that the judgment proved legal outcomes must rely strictly on evidence and facts rather than emotional appeals, while accusing the former vice-president and the invalidated leadership of attempting an unlawful takeover of the party.