2027 Election: Top Lawyer Shares Why Jonathan Could Struggle If He Runs, Makes Prediction

• A senior advocate has advised Jonathan to reconsider a 2027 presidential run amid rising political pressure.
• Legal opinion has suggested that shifting regional alignments may weaken Jonathan’s traditional support base across key zones
• The prominent lawyer opined that internal political dynamics within the South-East and South-South could affect Jonathan’s 2027 prospects

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A prominent lawyer in Anambra state, Chief Ben Izuegbunam, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has asked former President Goodluck Jonathan to rethink his stand in the 2027 presidential election.

The Onitsha-based legal practitioner suggested that many factors are against the former president and that he would lose if he went into the race.

A coalition of northern political groups, youth organisations, and PDP leaders is mounting pressure on Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Several support groups have mobilised campaigns and consultations in his favour, while Bala Mohammed, Bauchi state governor, said he would step aside if Jonathan decides to run. Supporters believe Jonathan’s eligibility for only one term makes him attractive to northern power rotation interests ahead of 2031.

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While facing mounting pressures, Jonathan, who has not made a formal declaration, stated publicly that he is "consulting widely."

Meanwhile, in an exclusive interview with Legit.ng correspondent in Onitsha, Izuegbunam said that Jonathan may have the right to run, but will not be anywhere close to victory if he does.

He said, "I believe Goodluck Jonathan is a very intelligent man who thinks critically before making decisions."

"The ex-president knows that the Southeast has been his support base all the while. And as it is presently, the majority of his brothers in the South South have embraced the ruling APC, NDC, and other political parties. So, being a man who calculates well before making decisions, he will consider the fact that many factors are against him, and will unlikely throw his hat into the ring."

"Jonathan knows that, as he wants to contest for president in 2027, his support base, which is the South East, will be swept by Peter Obi, despite all the noise from other politicians. Again, Jonathan is no longer popular in the South South, which is his own area, because his people have embraced other political parties."

"In Bayelsa, which is his home state, his brother, Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, is the leader of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and NDC will do well in Bayelsa, Rivers, and other South South states. So, even if the court clears him to run in 2027, I tell you, Jonathan will not throw his hat into the ring."

Court adjourns Jonathan 2027 eligibility case

Previously, Legit.ng reported that the Federal High Court in Abuja adjourned a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election after key parties failed to appear.

The suit filed at the Federal High Court lists INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation as defendants, with the plaintiff arguing that Jonathan’s eligibility to contest would breach constitutional limits on presidential terms.