The political build-up to the 2027 presidential election took a fresh twist yesterday as former President Goodluck Jonathan cautioned Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, SAN, and legal scholar Prof. Chidi Odinkalu to keep off his political path.

Keyamo and Odinkalu had warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) against handing Jonathan its presidential ticket, arguing that his re-election bid would face legal hurdles since he had already been sworn in twice.

But Jonathan, through his brother Robert Azibaola, dismissed their concerns as unsolicited and irrelevant. Writing on Facebook, Azibaola said:

“Rule No. 1: Do not offer legal advice where none is solicited. GEJ (PDP) has more experienced SANs who provide sound, professional legal advice. He is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest if he chooses to. Your unsolicited legal views are of no consequence.”

Azibaola further hinted that Jonathan had not yet decided to run, but insisted his eligibility was beyond question:

“This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running, though. Don’t waste your time; it’s not your business.”

Wike: Jonathan Is Being Misled

Meanwhile, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike cautioned that Jonathan was being deceived by political hawks into considering a return bid.

In a media chat, Wike warned the PDP against repeating past mistakes, claiming some leaders lacked integrity. He urged Jonathan not to allow himself to be “used again,” noting that those pushing him were the same politicians who betrayed him in 2015.

“Jonathan has international respect and should maintain that,” Wike said. “These same people weighing him down are the ones who played him before.”

Wike also dismissed moves to draft former Anambra governor Peter Obi into the PDP’s 2027 ticket, calling it “a recipe for disaster.”

“Obi once called PDP rotten. Now the same party is good enough for him? If you want to destroy this party, try it,” he warned.

El-Rufai Wrong on Tinubu’s Chances — Wike

On former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai’s claim that President Bola Tinubu would come third in 2027, Wike scoffed, describing the analysis as “faulty mathematics.”

“He goofed. How do you say someone will be third without saying who will be first or second?” Wike asked, insisting Tinubu would win “squarely” in 2027. He also dismissed speculation about his own presidential ambition:

“I have integrity. The person who appointed me is there, and I support him. I will not run.”

Atiku: Nigerians Will Decide 2027

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar also weighed in, insisting that Nigerians not the APC or PDP will ultimately determine the outcome of the 2027 polls.

Through his media aide, Paul Ibe, Atiku said the coalition being built under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was people-driven and gaining traction.

“The APC may think it will continue to dominate, but the real force is the Nigerian people,” Ibe said. He pointed to recent political realignments, including the defection of 5,000 PDP stakeholders in Lagos to the ADC, as evidence of growing momentum.