A cousin of former President Goodluck Jonathan, Azibaola Robert has insisted that Jonathan remains constitutionally and legally qualified to contest the 2027 presidential election.

His statement comes amid mounting calls from stakeholders who believe Jonathan is the only opposition figure capable of posing a serious challenge to President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015 after initially assuming office in an acting capacity following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, won the 2011 election under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) before conceding defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

With the opposition divided between the PDP and Labour Party, and uncertainty surrounding the ambitions of Peter Obi and former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, many argue that Jonathan’s experience and national appeal make him the strongest potential unifying candidate.

However, his possible return has sparked debate. Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo (SAN) has cautioned the PDP against fielding Jonathan, while human rights lawyer Professor Chidi Anselm Odinkalu maintains that he is constitutionally barred from running.

Responding on his Facebook page, Robert dismissed such claims, stressing that Jonathan’s eligibility is beyond doubt.

“GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest if he chooses to,” Robert wrote. “If he decides not to heed the overwhelming calls to run, it would not be because he is not qualified. Your unsolicited legal view is of no concern in his bucket list, and it will never be.”

He further reminded Keyamo and Odinkalu that, like them, he is also a lawyer and a pro-democracy activist from the 1990s.

He added that several court judgments, including cases involving the APC, affirmed Jonathan’s constitutional right to run again.

“This is not a confirmation that GEJ is running,” Robert clarified, “but a reminder that he has the right to do so if he wishes.”