Former Edo State Governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has cautioned ex-President Goodluck Jonathan against returning to the presidential race in 2027, warning that such a move could tarnish the legacy he built by conceding defeat in 2015.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole said only those with ulterior motives would encourage the former president to seek a return to power.
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“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before when the PDP was truly PDP,” Oshiomhole said. “If a man had the party at its best and still lost, I think only his enemy would push him into another election.”
Oshiomhole, a former national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), stated confidently that the APC would easily defeat Jonathan if he chose to contest again. He advised the former president to maintain his statesmanlike image, particularly given the international praise he received for peacefully handing over power in 2015.
“If I were able to advise him, I would say, ‘Sir, maintain this status. You governed for eight years; you don’t have to govern for nine,’” Oshiomhole added.
He praised Jonathan’s historic concession speech after the 2015 election, in which he famously declared that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian. Oshiomhole described the moment as “one of the most honourable acts by a Nigerian leader.”
He also questioned Jonathan’s current political strength in the South-South region, claiming that the PDP’s grip on the zone has weakened.
“We will defeat him if he comes out, very flatly,” he said. “Now, the South-South is no longer PDP. So where is he going to start from?”
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, has remained silent on his future political ambitions amid growing speculation about a possible 2027 run. The PDP has reportedly been courting the former president to consider another bid for the country’s top office.
Top party figures including Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed and Senator Abba Moro (Benue South) have publicly expressed interest in seeing Jonathan return as the PDP’s presidential candidate.
Under the constitution, Jonathan remains eligible to contest one more term, having only served a full four-year term after completing the tenure of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, who died in office in 2010.
However, questions have continued to surface about the legality of a potential comeback, with some arguing that having been sworn in twice, Jonathan may face constitutional hurdles.
Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga recently weighed in, saying while Jonathan has the right to run, Nigerians would not forget what he described as the former president’s “dismal record in office.”
As the 2027 election cycle draws closer, the debate over Jonathan’s political future appears far from over.
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