2027: We’ll defeat Jonathan flatly if he contests — Oshiomhole

Senator Adams Oshiomhole, representing Edo North Senatorial District, has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan stands no chance of winning against the All Progressives Congress (APC) if he decides to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole said Jonathan’s political influence in the South-South region has waned since 2015, stressing that the zone is now firmly under APC control.

“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?” he said.

The former Edo State governor added that only those who do not wish Jonathan well would encourage him to re-enter active politics, warning that doing so could damage his legacy.

“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before when PDP was truly PDP. If a man had a PDP at its best, at its peak, and he was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to go into election,” Oshiomhole said.

He advised the former president to maintain his status as a respected statesman, noting that his global reputation grew after peacefully conceding defeat in 2015.

“If I were to advise him, I’d say, ‘Sir, maintain this status. You governed for eight years; you don’t have to govern for nine years.’ He has managed to demonstrate that out of power, you can be relevant and at peace,” Oshiomhole said.

Oshiomhole commended Jonathan for his historic concession after the 2015 election, saying it elevated his international standing and should remain his enduring legacy.

Similarly, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, advised Jonathan not to heed calls urging him to run in 2027.

According to him, the former president would be taking a major political risk by contesting against President Bola Tinubu, warning that those urging him to run were misleading him.