2027: Jonathan Schools Keyamo, Odinkalu on his Eligibility to Run

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has chastised Minister of Aviation Festus Keyamo (SAN) and legal scholar Prof. Chidi Odinkalu for opposing his speculated 2027 presidential bid, urging them to refrain from interfering in his political decisions.

Keyamo and Odinkalu had advised the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) not to give Jonathan its ticket, claiming that his return attempt would face legal challenges because he had previously been sworn in twice as president.

But in a statement issued on Monday by his brother, Azibaola Robert, Jonathan dismissed their concerns, stressing that his eligibility was not in doubt and that he did not need unsolicited advice.

Robert, writing on his verified Facebook page, said: “Dear Festus Keyamo (SAN), Chidi Odinkalu (Prof.), I greet both of you. For the records, three of us are lawyers. We were all pro-democracy activists in the 90s, and I was a better activist than both of you combined.

“Rule No. 1: Do not offer legal advice where none is solicited. GEJ (PDP) has numerous, more cerebral, more experienced SANs at his disposal who give him sound, unblemished professional legal advice.

“Please note: GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest, if he chooses to. If he decides not to yield to the overwhelming calls to run, it will not be because he is unqualified.

“Your unsolicited legal view is not of any concern to him and will never be. Don’t waste your precious time dwelling on this.

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“Or should I schedule a meeting so you can be properly educated on the subsisting court judgments on the matter — one of which your party, APC, was a party to?”

Robert added, in a lighter tone: “This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running, though.”

Although Jonathan has yet to make a formal declaration about the 2027 race, his rumored ambition has already drawn reactions from political opponents who argue that a return bid could jeopardise the South’s chances of retaining the presidency.

For the time being, it is unclear whether the former president will run, but early debates suggest an escalating conflict over zoning, eligibility, and succession ahead of the 2027 elections.