Key points

• Jonathan defends his eligibility for the 2027 presidential race.

• Wike warns PDP against pushing Jonathan and Obi for 2027.

• Atiku insists Nigerians, not parties, will decide the 2027 outcome.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has told Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo and law professor Chidi Odinkalu to stop questioning his rumored plan to contest the 2027 election.

Both men argued that Jonathan’s eligibility could face a court challenge because he was sworn in twice.

But Jonathan’s younger brother, Robert Azibaola, dismissed their claims. He insisted Jonathan is “100 percent constitutionally and legally qualified to contest.”

Azibaola said Jonathan has senior legal advisers who guide him and does not need “free legal tips” from critics. “Don’t waste your precious time dwelling on this,” he wrote in a Facebook post.

Wike warns against ‘misleading’ Jonathan

Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike also entered the debate. He cautioned Jonathan not to listen to PDP leaders urging him to return in 2027.

According to Wike, the same people misled Jonathan in 2015 and may damage his reputation again. He dismissed talks of pairing Jonathan with Peter Obi, calling it “a recipe for disaster.”

Wike also responded to claims by former Kaduna governor Nasir El-Rufai that President Bola Tinubu could finish third in 2027.

He said Tinubu has a strong chance of winning a second term. “I will put a bet, Tinubu will win this election squarely,” he said.

The minister added that he has no personal ambition for 2027. He stressed that it would be a matter of integrity to back Tinubu rather than seek the presidency himself.

Atiku says Nigerians will decide

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar offered a different view. He said the 2027 election will not be decided by the dominance of APC or PDP but by the will of the people.

Atiku, through his media aide, argued that new coalitions are gaining strength.

He pointed to recent defections to the African Democratic Congress as proof that the political map is shifting.

“The most important element is the Nigerian people,” his aide said, insisting that voters, not party structures, will decide the future.