2027 Election: 'Jonathan Ready To Run Again,' Close Ally Reportedly Confirms
- As Nigeria inches toward another election cycle, the possibility of a Goodluck Jonathan comeback is being speculated
- Ahead of the 2027 election, Jonathan is back in the conversation, and may now return to change the game himself
- Some politicians have been mentioning former President Jonathan as a possible contestant in the 2027 presidential election
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering elections, politics, and governance in Nigeria.
Yenagoa, Bayelsa state - An unnamed close ally of former President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly disclosed that the ex-Nigerian leader is ready to contest against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 election.
Legit.ng reports that Jonathan served as the president of Nigeria from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to former military head of state, now-late Muhammadu Buhari, and was said to be the first incumbent president in Nigerian history to concede defeat in an election, thus allowing for a peaceful transition of power.
Source: Getty Images
According to Vanguard in a report on Thursday, August 7, the alleged Jonathan's ally who claimed the ex-President is ready to throw his hat into the ring once again, is a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
The newspaper claimed the alleged source disclosed that the plan to draft Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race "had gone far".
It is alleged that Jonathan is now a symbol of hope for many disenchanted citizens.
If Jonathan were to return, the law only permits him to serve one more term. This, some individuals in the opposition, said makes him a transitional figure.
For those in the north clamouring for the presidency in 2031, a Jonathan presidency allegedly offers a strategic middle ground.
There are those who believe that giving him the opportunity to run for a single term of four years remained the clearest pathway for power to return to the north in 2031 and remain there for eight years without a serious struggle by the south.
Going by the fact that Jonathan had already served out a term of four years, he cannot run for more than another four years in office if he wins the election in 2027, just like Tinubu if he gets re-elected.
Source: Twitter
The source who Vanguard claimed to have spoken to said it was in a bid to rescue the country and restore the dwindling economy and Nigeria to its pride of place that key PDP leaders and elders started ‘pleading with him’ to consider running against Tinubu in 2027.
Jonathan’s purported ally who is Vanguard's source reportedly said the Otuoke-born politician had already met behind the scene with some top leaders within and outside the PDP to consult them 'and seek their support for the 2027 presidential race'.
According to the politician, Jonathan met with former military president, Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida, recently in his residence in Niger state, and allegedly briefed him on his desire to run for one term in 2027.
Jonathan for president, fact or fiction?
Meanwhile, a political analyst Femi Bolaji suggested that the push for Jonathan’s return may be politically-motivated, particularly from northern political interests.
According to Bolaji, some northern power blocs view Jonathan as a strategic candidate who, by law, would only be eligible to serve a single term, a factor that aligns with their political calculations ahead of 2027.
He told Legit.ng:
“Obviously, the north is looking for a shortcut to stop Tinubu, which will ultimately sideline Atiku. They don’t believe in Obi’s promise of a single term, so they are turning to someone who is legally bound to one term. Jonathan becomes the first choice, not because they love him, but because he fits the agenda."
Sani comments on Jonathan recontesting
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Umar Sani, a spokesperson of the PDP presidential campaign council 2019, said the possibility of a Jonathan comeback cannot be dismissed.
In a post on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sani said Jonathan is no longer the underdog, but "a formidable player with renewed political currency".
Source: Legit.ng
