Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been warned by a group known as the South-South Reawakening Group (SSRG), a socio-political organisation in the Niger-Delta, not to succumb to the temptation of contesting the 2027 presidential election which they described as a trap to tarnish the good name that he has built over the years.

Jonathan, a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2015 Presidential election, conceded defeat to the immediate past president, late Muhammadu Buhari, who won the seat as the flag bearer of the All Peoples Congress (APC).

Jonathan, a former Bayelsa State governor, was touted by some groups, especially in the northern part of the country, as a candidate during the polls, but in the end, he denied any such ambitions.

Recently, some groups in the northern part of the country have already mentioned his name as a capable force that can defeat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu of the APC ahead of the 2027 elections.

Dr. Joseph Ambakaderimo, the leader of the group, stated that any attempt by Jonathan to contest for the post of the president in 2027 would lead to his political demise by saying those clamouring for him to throw his hat in the ring do not mean well for him and are just setting a trap for his part.

Ambakaderimo made the statement in Port Harcourt on Wednesday, as he said that about six different associations in the Niger Delta region met recently to look into the import of the calls by some northerners to drag Jonathan into the political fray and came to the conclusion that “those behind the scheme were Nigeria’s enemies”

According to him, “go back to history, you will see that these are the same people who hated Jonathan with passion when he served as president. They said he was weak; he was incapable of securing Nigeria from Boko Haram terrorists. So, what has suddenly changed now?

“The Jonathan narrative in this enterprise of drafting him to run in the 2027 elections hasn’t been made clear to us by Jonathan himself. Therefore, l wouldn’t want to say much until he, Jonathan, speaks by declaring his intentions.

“However, my understanding at this time and the question to ask is how come the sudden 360 degree likeness and love from persons who worked against Jonathan and previously called him all the unprintable names have now become the ones urging him to come out of his political hibernation?.

“My understanding is that there is a grand plan to scatter the southern votes by way of drafting in as many candidates as possible from the south to scramble for the southern votes while leaving the northern votes intact for the supposedly single dominant candidate.

“If this is the strategy of Jonathan’s newfound friends, we may likely see a scenario where that Northern candidate might win with not more than three million votes, which will lead to a possible runoff in 2027. This strategy is just to weaken the incumbent, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, and take power back to the North through the back door.

“So far, we are watching this game with rapt attention to see the destination where it will anchor”, Ambakaderimo said.

Recall that a pro-Jonathan group, Bring Back Our Goodluck, last weekend in Kano had called on Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, declaring that Nigerians were “misled in 2015” into voting out his administration. (Daily Independent)