Robert Azibaola, a cousin to former President Goodluck Jonathan, has criticised two senior lawyers, Festus Keyamo and Professor Chidi Odinkalu, for suggesting that Jonathan’s possible bid for the 2027 presidential election would face serious legal obstacles.

Azibaola, who is also a lawyer, insisted that the former president is fully qualified to run again, cautioning the two legal practitioners to steer clear of Jonathan’s political journey.

Professor Odinkalu, a former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission, had recently warned that Jonathan could face disqualification by the courts if he attempts a comeback in 2027. Similarly, Festus Keyamo, the current Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, argued that constitutional hurdles could stand in the way of the former president’s candidacy.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Azibaola dismissed their concerns, stressing that Jonathan has access to “more cerebral and experienced” senior advocates who advise him professionally.

“Please note: GEJ is 100% constitutionally and legally qualified to contest, if he chooses to,” Azibaola wrote. “Your unsolicited legal view is of no concern. Don’t waste your precious time dwelling on this.”

He further challenged both men to revisit existing court judgments, noting that one of them involved the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Keyamo’s political party.

Azibaola added that Jonathan has not declared interest in the 2027 race but urged critics to stop raising unnecessary alarm.

Jonathan, who served as president between 2010 and 2015, lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Persistent rumours have since suggested that he could return to complete a second term, as the Constitution limits him to only one more term.

Calls for Jonathan’s return have been loudest from parts of Northern Nigeria, where some political stakeholders argue that his candidacy would balance the country’s zoning arrangement and limit him to just one term.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration has faced criticism from some northern leaders, who allege political exclusion and a concentration of appointments in the South-West, fuelling speculation that the North may back Jonathan if he decides to run.