2027: Tinubu Camp Tells Jonathan to Back Off as Delta Groups Slam Court Case
By: Abudu Olalekan
The 2027 race? It’s already on people’s lips.
And while it’s still two years away, voices are getting louder. Especially in Ondo State. A group backing President Bola Tinubu — they call themselves the Progressive Network for Tinubu (PNT) — is making one thing very clear: they don’t see any serious challenger to the President’s second-term dreams. At least, not yet.
But then, came the name few expected to hear again: Goodluck Jonathan.
Yup — that Jonathan. The former President. The man who handed over without fuss in 2015. A rumor spread online recently. Word is, he’s considering a comeback. Maybe not under the PDP, maybe not even under the APC. Just… a new party. No one’s saying much, but things are bubbling beneath the surface.
Then boom — a lawsuit shows up. Filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, asking the Federal High Court in Abuja to bar Jonathan from contesting in 2027. Preemptively. As in, before the man has even said he’s running. That stirred the hornet’s nest.
At a political event on Tuesday, the PNT took the mic. It was supposed to be about launching local government structures in the 18 LGAs of Ondo State. But you know how politics runs—nobody sticks to script.
Mr. Olumide Obadele, the group’s DG, didn’t hold back.
“Jonathan should sit this one out,” Obadele began, with that trademark mix of warning and subtle shade. “He has a legacy. He should protect it.” He went on to say that if the former President dares to contest, the outcome won’t be pleasant. “It’ll be outright embarrassing.”
He also brushed off fears in the ruling party. For him, talk of a Tinubu panic was laughable.
“The Constitution is clear,” he said. “There are limits. Those twisting it for some political nostalgia—well—they’re wasting their time.”
Obadele called opposition parties like PDP, Labour Party, and ADC “zombies on life support.” Smashed their chances completely. According to him, 2027 is already a done deal. “None of them has the national base or structure to challenge the APC,” he declared. Bold words.
But it’s not just about alliances and court cases. The PNT says they’re doing the work, down in the trenches. Grassroots mobilization, community outreach. Especially in a state like Ondo, where he said only 28% of registered voters showed up last time.
“We’ve got to wake up the 70% sitting at home tweeting,” said Obadele. “We’re hitting youth groups, markets, schools, churches. We want people to believe in Asiwaju’s vision, not just talk about it online.”
Meanwhile, over in Delta State, a very different voice echoed. Civil society groups aren’t buying into the idea of Jonathan being blocked before he even declares.
Victor Ojei, DG of the Young Nigerian Rights Organisation, called the lawsuit a “political distraction of the worst kind.” Speaking to Reportersroom, he didn’t sugar-coat anything.
“It’s legally hollow. Morally wrong,” he said. “This ain’t how democracy works.”
And there’s a technical argument too. Remember how Jonathan became president after President Yar’Adua passed in 2010? Ojei says that doesn’t count as a full, elected term. So using it to argue he’s had two terms? That’s shaky, at best.
He also drilled in a bigger point: the guy who filed that suit — who’s he representing?
“The plaintiff is acting alone, armed with no mandate, and no real injury,” Ojei argued. “He’s weaponizing the courts for politics.”
And that, he warns, is dangerous terrain for any democracy. Once courts start deciding who can’t run before they’ve even said they will — the whole foundation of citizen rights could come undone.
He urged the judiciary to stand firm. Not bend to political tides. “The courts aren’t meant to be tools for ambition. They’re the last hope for ordinary Nigerians.”
For now, Jonathan hasn’t said a word.
But in Nigeria, silence doesn’t mean nothing’s cooking.
