Although former President Goodluck Jonathan has yet to make a formal declaration on the 2027 presidential race, his rumoured ambition has continued to draw reactions from political opponents, who argue that a return bid could jeopardise the South’s chances of retaining the presidency.
Festus Keyamo, Minister of Aviation and Chidi Odinkalu (SAN) had urged the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to hand its ticket to Jonathan, arguing that his return bid would face legal obstacles since he had already been sworn in twice as president.
However, Robert Azibaola, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has affirmed that Jonathan is fully qualified under Nigerian law to contest the 2027 presidential election, stressing that he did not need unsolicited advice.
“GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest if he chooses to. If he chooses not to yield to his overwhelming calls to contest, it would not be because he is not qualified,” he wrote on his verified Facebook page on Monday, September 1 2025.
He further reminded Keyamo and Odinkalu that Jonathan has access to a team of experienced legal advisers.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from May 2010 to May 2015, assuming office initially as acting president following the illness and death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He later won the 2011 election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), securing 58.89 per cent of the vote.
Azibaola emphasised that his statement does not confirm Jonathan’s intention to run, but seeks to clarify misconceptions about his legal eligibility.
This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running, though,” he noted.
The comments from Jonathan’s cousin is coming in the heels of debates within Nigeria’s political circles, especially the opposition, which remains divided between the PDP, the Labour Party, and other political actors, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, on who is the best candidate to wrestle power from the incumbent president and lead Nigeria to prosperity.
