Former Edo State governor and Senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has cautioned ex-President Goodluck Jonathan against staging a political comeback in 2027, warning that such a move could erode the respect he currently enjoys as a statesman.
Oshiomhole, who spoke on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, insisted that only those who do not wish Jonathan well would push him to return to the presidential race, adding that the All Progressives Congress (APC) would defeat him with ease if he dares to contest.
“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before when PDP was truly PDP,” the former APC national chairman said.
“If a man had PDP at its best, at its peak, and he was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to go into election.”
The senator advised Jonathan to preserve his legacy as a respected African leader by not seeking another shot at the presidency.
According to him, Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 earned him global admiration that should not be squandered.
“If I were able to advise him, I will say, sir, maintain this status. You governed for eight years, you don’t have to govern for nine,” Oshiomhole said.
“He has already demonstrated that out of power, you can be relevant and at peace. That concession speech, that memorable quote about the blood of a Nigerian not being worth his ambition, remains one of the most honourable acts by any Nigerian leader. He should allow those legacies to stand.”
Oshiomhole also argued that Jonathan no longer commands the same political influence in his South-South base, which, he said, has since shifted away from the PDP.
“We will defeat him if he comes out very flatly because now the South-South is no longer PDP. So where is he going to start from?” he queried.
Speculations have been rife in recent months that Jonathan may be considering another run in 2027. Though the former president has remained silent on his next political move, some leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have openly courted him.
Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, and Senator Abba Moro of Benue South are among PDP figures who disclosed that the party is wooing Jonathan to seek its presidential ticket.
Jonathan, who completed the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua between 2010 and 2011, later served a single four-year term from 2011 to 2015. Under the constitution, he is still entitled to contest for one more term.
However, Oshiomhole maintained that Jonathan would be better off consolidating his international statesman status rather than re-entering a political contest that could end in defeat.
Meanwhile, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu, recently said Jonathan is free to contest but reminded Nigerians of what he described as the former president’s “dismal record in office.”
Onanuga also suggested that Jonathan might face legal questions over his eligibility, since he had been sworn in twice as Nigeria’s president.
Jonathan, who was defeated by Buhari in 2015 under the APC banner, has yet to declare any interest in the 2027 presidential race.
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