President Bola Tinubu group in Ondo State, the Progressive Network for Tinubu (PNT), has warned former President Goodluck Jonathan against contesting the 2027 presidential election, saying such a move would “end in embarrassment.”
The caution follows reports suggesting that Jonathan is considering a return to the race under an undisclosed political party. It also comes amid a suit filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking an injunction to bar Jonathan from participating in the 2027 poll.
Speaking during the inauguration of the group’s local government structures across Ondo State, PNT Director-General, Olumide Obadele, said Jonathan should protect his statesman image by staying away from the race.
According to him, opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and African Democratic Congress (ADC), are “on life support” and lack the capacity to challenge President Tinubu’s reelection bid.
“The Constitution is clear about it, and there’s no need to twist it. If Jonathan insists on running, he will only end up embarrassed and rubbished,” Obadele said. He added that the 2027 election was “a done deal” for the All Progressives Congress (APC), claiming no opposition party currently has the structure or national reach to defeat the ruling party.
Obadele further noted that PNT’s focus is on mobilising voters at the grassroots, lamenting low voter turnout in Ondo State during the last general elections. He said the group was working to engage communities, civil groups, and youths to increase civic participation and strengthen support for Tinubu’s administration.
Meanwhile, civil society groups in Delta State have condemned the suit seeking to bar Jonathan from contesting, describing it as politically motivated and a misuse of the judicial process.
The Director-General of the Young Nigerian Rights Organisation (YNRO), Victor Ojei, in a statement issued in Asaba, said the case was “a politically motivated distraction and a gross abuse of judicial process.”
He argued that Jonathan’s first stint as president, following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, was a constitutional transition and not an elected term. Ojei said attempts to classify it as such were “a distortion of both fact and law.”
Ojei also questioned the plaintiff’s legal standing, describing the suit as speculative and driven by political interests. He urged the judiciary to dismiss the case, saying the courts must not be used as tools for political persecution.
“The attempt to silence a citizen’s political right before he has even declared interest in the race is unconstitutional and dangerous for democracy,” he added.