ABUJA — Fresh pressure is mounting on former President Goodluck Jonathan to rejoin the presidential race ahead of 2027, with strong appeals reportedly coming from northern opposition blocs seeking a challenger to President Bola Tinubu.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s 14th head of state following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 and later won the 2011 election, has so far remained silent on whether he will make a dramatic return. However, political speculations are intensifying, particularly as northern politicians view his potential candidacy as attractive given that, constitutionally, he could only serve one term if elected again.
Daily Post recalls that debates over Jonathan’s eligibility have lingered since 2015, when questions were raised about whether he could be sworn in three times. In May 2022, a Federal High Court in Yenagoa cleared him to contest future elections, ruling that the constitutional amendment barring vice presidents who succeed their principals from serving more than one full term could not apply retroactively.
Despite the clearance, Jonathan opted out of the 2023 race amid rumours of an APC-backed push, including the reported purchase of a ₦100 million nomination form on his behalf by a Fulani group.
Now, with the PDP zoning its 2027 ticket to the South, political figures close to the former president hint that he may emerge as one of the leading challengers to Tinubu if he throws his hat in the ring.
But his potential comeback is already stirring sharp divisions.
Former Kaduna lawmaker Shehu Sani warned Jonathan not to contest, insisting that the PDP he once led to victory in 2011 “is no longer the same party.” Lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi argued that attempts to “rebrand” Jonathan ignored the valid reasons Nigerians voted him out in 2015, while human rights lawyer Deji Adeyanju flatly stated Jonathan has no interest in running.
Within the PDP, opinions are also split. National Publicity Secretary Debo Ologunagba described reports of Jonathan’s candidacy as speculative. However, Lagos PDP chieftain Dr. Adetokunbo Pearse was more direct, saying Jonathan’s long absence from party activities and lack of financial or moral support make it nearly impossible for him to secure the delegates needed to win the ticket.
“Jonathan is a member of the PDP, but he has not been active, he has not been funding or supporting the party. Where will he get the delegates?” Pearse asked in a telephone interview with Daily Post.
He further cautioned that Jonathan’s candidacy could expose the PDP to fresh legal battles. “It is not in the interest of the PDP to field somebody whose eligibility could spark litigation. We have younger leaders like Governor Seyi Makinde who stand a good chance of defeating Tinubu without controversy.”
While Jonathan himself has yet to break his silence, the mounting pressure — coupled with growing calls for a new generation of leadership — leaves the former president at the center of Nigeria’s evolving 2027 political chessboard.
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