Former Edo State governor and senator representing Edo North, Adams Oshiomhole, has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to resist any pressure to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move could undermine his political legacy.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole described those encouraging Jonathan to return to the race as his “enemies,” noting that the former president has already secured a place of respect and relevance outside public office.
“I have a lot of respect for him. Now, how can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before when the PDP was truly PDP. If a man had PDP at its best, at its peak, and was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to go into the race,” Oshiomhole said.
The senator added that Jonathan has managed to maintain his reputation and influence since leaving office in 2015, a status he advised him to preserve.
“If I were to advise him, I’d say, sir, maintain this status. If I were him, I’d spend the rest of my life sustaining the relevance he has already found,” he stated.
Oshiomhole further argued that Jonathan would face an uphill battle if he chose to run again, given the shifting political landscape in the South. “We will defeat him if he comes out, very flatly, because now the South is no longer PDP. So where is he going to start from?” he asked.
Jonathan, who ran as the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), lost the 2015 presidential election to former President Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speculation about his potential comeback in 2027 has intensified in recent months, with some of his associates claiming he is being courted to re-enter the race, though he has yet to make any public statement on the matter.
