Senator Adams Oshiomhole has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan poses no political threat to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) should he decide to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Oshiomhole argued that Jonathan’s once-strong political base in the South-South has eroded since his 2015 defeat, leaving him with little chance of mounting a credible challenge.
“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?” the former Edo State governor said.
Oshiomhole warned that any attempt by Jonathan to return to politics would damage his legacy rather than enhance it.
“How can Jonathan be a threat? We defeated him before, when PDP was truly PDP. If a man had PDP at its best and was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to go into election,” he said.
The senator advised the former president to retain his image as a respected elder statesman rather than risk political humiliation.
“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 years.’ He has managed to demonstrate that out of power, you can still be relevant and at peace,” Oshiomhole noted.
He also praised Jonathan’s historic concession after the 2015 election, calling it “an act that elevated his stature globally.”
Similarly, Lagos PDP governorship candidate in 2023, Abdul-Azeez Adediran (Jandor), advised Jonathan to ignore calls to rejoin the presidential race, describing such appeals as deceptive.
Oshiomhole concluded that Jonathan’s famous statement — that his “ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” — should remain his enduring legacy, not another election battle.
