Former President Goodluck Jonathan has fired back at critics of his rumoured 2027 presidential ambition, warning Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo (SAN) and law professor Chidi Odinkalu to stay away from his political path.
Keyamo and Odinkalu had argued that Jonathan was ineligible to contest, citing constitutional limits since he had been sworn in twice. But Jonathan, speaking through his brother Robert Azibaola, dismissed their concerns as “unsolicited legal advice,” insisting the former president remains fully qualified to run.
“GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest, if he chooses to,” Azibaola wrote on Facebook, adding that Jonathan has “more experienced SANs” advising him.
Wike: Jonathan Is Being Misled
Meanwhile, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike warned that Jonathan is being pushed by political hawks into making a wrong move.
Wike praised Jonathan’s international reputation but cautioned him not to allow the same forces that “played him in 2015” to mislead him again.
“Jonathan should maintain his global respect. Those urging him to run only want to cause confusion in the PDP,” Wike said in a media chat.
The minister also dismissed suggestions of drafting Peter Obi as PDP’s candidate, calling it a “recipe for disaster,” and mocked Nasir El-Rufai’s claim that Tinubu would come third in 2027, saying:
“He failed in his mathematics. Tinubu will win squarely. I’ll even place a bet.”
Wike further denied nursing presidential ambitions himself, stressing:
“I have integrity. I won’t betray the person who appointed me.”
Atiku: Nigerians Will Decide 2027
On his part, former Vice President Atiku Abubakar said Nigerians — not the APC or PDP — will ultimately determine the 2027 election outcome.
Atiku’s media aide, Paul Ibe, said momentum was building around a coalition driven by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), with defections already happening.
“The APC and PDP may think they dominate, but the Nigerian people are the real force. They will decide 2027,” Ibe stated, citing the defection of 5,000 PDP stakeholders to the ADC in Lagos as proof of shifting dynamics.
