The prospect of former President Goodluck Jonathan contesting the 2027 presidential election has resurfaced in political discussions, with opinions divided among former politicians and party stakeholders.
Mathias Tsado, a former presidential aspirant of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), called on Jonathan’s associates to persuade him to run, arguing that the former Bayelsa governor possesses qualities needed to address Nigeria’s current challenges.
“Yes, he has not declared that he wants to run for election, but for somebody like me, I am praying for a day that will come when President Goodluck Jonathan will declare and say, ‘I want to run,’” Tsado said during an interview on Channels Television’s *Sunrise Daily* on Tuesday.
He urged Jonathan’s contacts to encourage him to consider the race. “Those who have his contacts, those who have access to him, should speak to him. They should point out the other rumors around in 2023 that he was going to run and all that. There were rumors, but this time around, \[they should tell him], ‘Please come around, sir, because Nigerian people today need you,’” Tsado added.
Tsado noted that Jonathan demonstrated statesmanship in conceding defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 elections, describing it as evidence that the former president is not driven by personal ambition. “You remember when he said his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian…President Goodluck Jonathan lost the election in 2015 but gained the people. And at the moment, I think that is what is working for him,” he said.
In April, Jibril Mustapha, president of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation and former leader of the Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO), publicly urged former President Jonathan to run for the Nigerian presidency in 2027.
In a statement made in Lagos, Mustapha emphasized Jonathan’s past commitment to democratic values, national unity, and inclusive governance. He said, “As the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation believes that now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and support a candidate who can genuinely represent the interests of all Nigerians.
“We urge former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider this call and to step forward as a candidate who can unite our country and lead us towards a brighter future. This appeal comes in light of the numerous challenges currently facing Nigeria, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and rampant banditry.”
However, former federal lawmaker Shehu Sani offered a contrasting view, advising Jonathan against contesting in 2027. Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Sani argued that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is no longer the party Jonathan once knew.
“Each time there is an election, the name of Jonathan comes up. It is his volition to contest, but I advise him not to do that. The reason is very simple: the PDP he used to know is not the PDP now,” Sani said. He noted that some southern PDP members are endorsing
President Bola Tinubu, while others have joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition, reducing Jonathan’s influence within the party.
Sani also contended that the ADC coalition lacks ideological differences with the Tinubu administration, saying, “The people that constitute the coalition today are not ideologically and philosophically different from the programmes which the Tinubu administration is prosecuting.”
Jonathan, who became president in May 2010 following the death of Umaru Yar’Adua and was elected for a full term in 2011, has not publicly indicated any interest in returning to the presidency, though constitutionally he remains eligible for one more term.
The discussion around Jonathan’s potential candidacy is gaining traction amid debates over a one-term presidency for southern candidates and the emergence of new opposition alliances ahead of the 2027 polls.
