…Says APC’ll crush them again in 2027
Former Edo State governor and Senator representing Edo-North, Adams Oshiomhole, has urged ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to ignore calls for him to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move would destroy his hard-earned legacy.
Speaking during a television programme at the weekend, Oshiomhole said only Jonathan’s “enemies” would want him to return to the political battlefield after losing to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in 2015.
“If a man had the PDP at its peak and was defeated, I think only his enemy will push him to contest again. We will defeat him flatly if he comes out, because now, the South-South is no longer PDP. Where is he going to start from?”, he stated.
The former APC National Chairman praised Jonathan’s historic concession after the 2015 election, noting that it earned him global respect and should remain his lasting legacy. “He has shown that out of power, you can be relevant and at peace. My advice is: ‘Sir, maintain this status — you don’t need to govern for nine years’ ”, he added.
Oshiomhole also dismissed the chances of opposition heavyweights, Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi, saying the pair had a “history of serial defeats” against the APC. “Did Atiku not run with Obi before? Were they not defeated? They have been beaten together and separately – and if they reunite, they’ll still be defeated”, he stated confidently.
Atiku and Obi, who came second and third respectively in the 2023 presidential election under the PDP and Labour Party (LP), have since joined forces in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), sparking speculation about a joint 2027 ticket.
Oshiomhole, however, insisted that the APC remains unshakable, particularly in the South-South, which he described as a “new APC stronghold”.
His remarks come amid renewed calls by political groups urging Jonathan to return to the race – appeals also dismissed by AbdulAzeez Adediran (Jandor), the PDP’s 2023 Lagos governorship candidate, who warned that those pushing Jonathan to run were “deceiving him”.
According to Oshiomhole, Jonathan’s famous 2015 declaration that “My ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian” should remain the defining mark of his statesmanship.
