Jonathan’s Cousin Reacts to Report of Ex-President Rejecting Pressure to Contest in 2027 Election
- Former President Goodluck Jonathan's cousin Azibaola Robert asked the media to be aware as people are planting stories ahead of the 2027 election
- Those pushing the Jonathan candidacy calculate that he will be easy to market in the North under the guise that he would only serve a single term
- Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, lost his re-election bid to late Buhari in 2015 by over 2.5 million votes
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Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, election, and governance in Nigeria.
Otuoke, Bayelsa state - The family of former President Goodluck Jonathan has denied reports suggesting he has stepped aside from contesting the 2027 election.
As reported by Vanguard on Friday afternoon, August 29, the rebuttal follows claims in a news report that the Otuoke-born statesman had opted not to run in order not to disrupt Southern unity.
Source: Twitter
On Friday afternoon, August 29, Jonathan's cousin, Robert Azibaola, dismissed the said report in a post on his verified Facebook page, stressing that the ex-Nigerian leader never said he would not contest in the 2027 election.
Azibaola urged Nigerians to beware of 'planted stories'.
He wrote:
"Fake News! No such aide exist, no such statement was made.
"Neither is this a confirmation that GEJ is running.
"The media should be aware, people are planting stories. FULL STOP!"
Talks of Jonathan's potential candidacy
Legit.ng reports that Jonathan sought a second term as incumbent president on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform in 2015 but lost to the then-opposition candidate, now-late Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). Since his defeat, he has recoiled to a low-profile status within the PDP, preferring to project statesmanship image of himself through his public engagements. But he has not officially announced his resignation from the party.
Source: Getty Images
In fact, in 2023, Jonathan was rumoured to be angling for the APC’s presidential ticket. While his silence continued to fuel the speculations, he ended up not taking any step to realise that goal.
Recently, former Jigawa state governor Sule Lamido branded him as the PDP’s best bet for the 2027 presidential election.
Lamido described Jonathan as one who has led the country before, understands governance, and works well with others.
According to the PDP chieftain, no current party member from the South can match Jonathan’s experience.
Read more on Goodluck Jonathan:
- 2027 election: Pastor who prophesied about Ladoja’s impeachment predicts Jonathan’s fate
- “INEC card reader rejected me”: Jonathan alleges election malpractice in 2015
- 2027 presidential ticket: Governor Bala Mohammed mentions Goodluck Jonathan, 1 other influential Southern candidate PDP is considering
- 2027 election: Will Peter Obi, Goodluck Jonathan join PDP presidential race? Senator Moro speaks
Jonathan told not to contest
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna, advised Jonathan not to recontest for presidency in the 2027 election.
Sani said the PDP, Jonathan's known party, is no longer united.
Source: Legit.ng
