Robert Azibaola, a cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, has affirmed that Jonathan is fully qualified under Nigerian law to contest the 2027 presidential election. His statement responds to recent comments from senior legal figures questioning Jonathan’s eligibility.

In a post on his Facebook page, Azibaola, himself a lawyer and former pro-democracy activist, addressed Festus Keyamo, the Minister of Aviation and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), and Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu, a prominent human rights lawyer. He asserted that the former president’s constitutional and legal standing to run is indisputable.

“GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest if he chooses to. If he chooses not to yield to his overwhelming calls to contest, it would not be because he is not qualified,” Azibaola wrote. He further reminded Keyamo and Odinkalu that Jonathan has access to a team of experienced legal advisers.

Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from May 2010 to May 2015, assuming office initially as acting president following the illness and death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

He later won the 2011 election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), securing 58.89 per cent of the vote.
Azibaola emphasised that his statement does not confirm Jonathan’s intention to run, but seeks to clarify misconceptions about his legal eligibility.

“This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running, though,” he noted.

The comments from Jonathan’s cousin come amid ongoing debates within Nigeria’s opposition, which remains divided between the PDP, the Labour Party, and other political actors, including former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi.

Analysts say Jonathan’s potential candidacy could influence efforts to unify opposition support against the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).