shiomhole made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics on October 5, where he advised Jonathan to preserve his legacy and current reputation by staying away from another presidential race.
The senator, who also served as National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said Jonathan should remember that even as a sitting president in 2015, he was defeated by the APC — a feat that would be even harder to reverse now that the PDP’s political influence has waned significantly.
“The South-South is no longer PDP. Where’s he going to start from?” Oshiomhole asked during the interview.
In recent weeks, reports have circulated suggesting that former President Jonathan may join the 2027 race, possibly under the PDP or another coalition party. However, Jonathan himself has not made any official declaration.
Meanwhile, several APC stakeholders have already begun mobilising for President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid, saying he deserves another term to consolidate his economic and governance reforms.
Reacting to speculations, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, said the presidency welcomes any challenger, but described the opposition’s early moves as “premature desperation”.
Unconfirmed reports on Sunday suggested that Jonathan may be considering aligning with the African Democratic Congress (ADC) ahead of 2027, where a coalition of opposition leaders — including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Nasir El-Rufai — is reportedly gaining traction.
However, Atiku has denied claims that he would step down for any candidate, insisting he remains committed to contesting under the emerging coalition.
El-Rufai, also speaking recently on Channels TV, predicted that “Tinubu will finish third in the 2027 election,” arguing that the next presidential contest will be fiercely competitive.
Oshiomhole, however, maintained that Jonathan rejoining the race would be “a political miscalculation pushed by people who do not mean well for him.”
