2027: Tinubu supporters warn Jonathan as kinsmen condemn lawsuit

A pro-President Bola Tinubu group in Ondo State, the Progressive Network for Tinubu, on Tuesday declared that President Tinubu has no serious opposition ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

The group also warned former President Goodluck Jonathan against returning to the race, saying doing so would “end in embarrassment.”

This follows social media reports suggesting that Jonathan is warming up to contest the 2027 poll under a yet-to-be-revealed political party.

Amid this rumour, a legal practitioner, Johnmary Jideobi,  on Monday, filed a suit at the Federal High Court in Abuja, seeking a perpetual injunction to restrain Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Speaking on Tuesday during the inauguration of local government structures across the 18 local government areas of Ondo State, the PNT Director-General, Mr. Olumide Obadele, said beyond legal hurdles, Jonathan should uphold his reputation as a statesman by staying away from the 2027 race.

According to him, opposition parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress, are “on life support,” and any candidate contesting on their platform, including Jonathan, cannot defeat President Tinubu.

Obadele dismissed claims that the All Progressives Congress was jittery over Jonathan’s rumoured ambition, saying constitutional and legal constraints make his participation nearly impossible.

He said, “I can tell you that Jonathan will not run at the end of the day. The Constitution is clear about it, and there’s no need to twist it. If he insists, he will only end up embarrassed and rubbished.”

Obadele described the 2027 presidential election as “a done deal” for the APC, insisting that none of the existing opposition parties has the structure or clout to unseat President Tinubu.

“Political parties such as the PDP, Labour Party and ADC are in the ICU and lack the organisation and national appeal needed to challenge the ruling APC. I do not think any opposition party in Nigeria today can say it wants to run against Asiwaju. For me, 2027 is a done deal,” he said.

On the group’s mobilisation efforts for the President, the PNT convener said the group was working to expand grassroots participation, particularly in Ondo State, where only about 28 per cent of registered voters participated in the last general elections.

He lamented the growing voter apathy among elites who prefer to engage politics on social media rather than at the polls, saying civic engagement and political education were now the focus of PNT’s activities.

“Our goal is to awaken the remaining 70 per cent of voters who stayed home during the last polls. We’re engaging communities, civil groups and youth organisations to enlighten them about Asiwaju’s leadership and achievements. We want Yoruba land to stand solidly behind him,” he said.

Meanwhile, civil society organisations in Delta State have condemned the lawsuit against Jonathan, describing it as politically motivated and an abuse of judicial process.

The Director-General of the Young Nigerian Rights Organisation, Mr. Victor Ojei, called for the immediate dismissal of the suit, which he described as “a politically motivated distraction and a gross abuse of judicial process.”

In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Tuesday in Asaba, Ojei expressed concern over what he called “a growing pattern of weaponising the courts for political persecution.”

He said, “The suit, which seeks to bar Dr. Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, is not only legally baseless but also morally wrong and contrary to the spirit of democracy.

“Dr. Jonathan’s assumption of office in 2010 followed the tragic passing of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua — a constitutional transition rather than an election. His initial tenure was incomplete and constitutionally distinct from a full presidential term.

“The framers of our Constitution did not intend for such a lawful succession to be counted as an ‘elected term.’ Any argument to the contrary is a distortion of both fact and law.”

Ojei further argued that the case suffers from a fundamental defect of locus standi, as the plaintiff lacks the legal standing to bring such an action.

“The individual who filed the suit neither represents any institution of state nor has suffered any direct injury that warrants judicial intervention. It is a speculative petition driven by political interests rather than constitutional principles,” he added.

The organisation stressed that democracy thrives on inclusion and the right of every citizen to participate, not on preemptive exclusion based on personal or partisan motives.

“To attempt to silence a citizen’s political right before he has even declared interest in the race is not only unconstitutional but a dangerous precedent for our democracy,” the statement added.

The group urged the judiciary to safeguard its integrity by resisting political manipulation, stressing that the courts are “the last hope of the common man, not a playground for political adventurers.”

It, therefore, called on the Federal High Court to dismiss the case without hesitation.(Punch)