Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has stated that former President Goodluck Jonathan would have little chance of success if he decides to contest the 2027 presidential election against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole argued that Jonathan’s political base in the South-South region has significantly weakened since 2015, making it unlikely for him to mount a serious challenge to the APC.
“We will defeat him flatly if he comes out because now, the South-South is no longer PDP. So where is he going to start from?” Oshiomhole asked.
The former Edo State governor cautioned that only those opposed to Jonathan’s legacy would encourage him to return to politics, suggesting that such a move could tarnish the former president’s hard-earned reputation.
“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before, when PDP was truly PDP. If a man had a PDP at its peak and he was defeated, only his enemy would push him to contest again,” Oshiomhole said.
He advised Jonathan to maintain his status as a respected statesman rather than seeking office after already serving two terms.
“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. He has shown that out of power, one can still be relevant and at peace,” he added.
Oshiomhole also praised Jonathan for his historic concession in the 2015 election, noting that it enhanced his global stature. He emphasized that Jonathan’s statement that his “blood is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” should remain his enduring legacy.
Similarly, PDP’s 2023 governorship candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has urged Jonathan not to heed calls to run in 2027, warning that such advisers are misleading him.
Oshiomhole added that contesting the election would be politically risky for Jonathan, predicting that he would be outmatched by President Bola Tinubu at the polls.
“He would be reduced to a minnow by President Tinubu if he attempts to contest,” Oshiomhole said.
Adediran reinforced this view, advising the former president to remain in retirement and avoid the political trap set by those encouraging him to challenge Tinubu.
