With the 2027 presidential election approaching, a familiar name is once again at the center of Nigerian political discourse: Goodluck Jonathan. The former president, who left office in 2015, is being urged by various political factions and interest groups to make a comeback, sparking a new wave of debate over his eligibility and the future of the nation’s political opposition.
Jonathan has not officially declared his candidacy. His aides have said he is “consulting,” a common phrase in Nigerian politics that signals a potential bid. But the mere prospect of his return has already thrown the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) into a state of internal division, particularly in his home region of the South-South.
The Return of Jonathan?
The push for Jonathan’s return is being led by a number of high-profile political figures. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed, who chairs the PDP Governors’ Forum, has reportedly met with Jonathan to discuss a potential run. Similarly, former Jigawa State Governor Sule Lamido and ex-Minister of Information Jerry Gana have publicly called on him to contest under the PDP banner.
Many of Jonathan’s supporters hail his previous tenure as a period of “good governance” and “national cohesion.” Chris Nehikhare, the publicity secretary for the Edo State chapter of the PDP, described Jonathan as “one of the most qualified leaders in our nation’s history,” arguing that his potential return would be a “breath of fresh air.”
The Legal Hurdles
Despite the enthusiasm, a major legal question looms over Jonathan’s potential candidacy. A 2018 constitutional amendment prohibits anyone who has been sworn in twice as president from contesting the office again. Jonathan was first sworn in to complete the term of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and then won a full term in 2011.
His supporters, however, point to a 2022 court judgment from a Federal High Court in Yenagoa, his home state, which affirmed his right to run again. The ruling stated that since the constitutional amendment was made after Jonathan’s previous tenures, it does not retroactively apply to him. This legal argument, however, is not universally accepted and would likely be challenged in court if he were to run.
A Divided Opposition
The Jonathan speculation has deepened existing fractures within the opposition. In Rivers State, the political divide between supporters of the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike and Governor Siminalayi Fubara is on full display. Wike’s loyalists argue that Jonathan has been largely inactive in party affairs since 2015 and that his candidacy would be a setback. A Wike-aligned PDP official dismissed Jonathan as “a far cry from the reality on the ground now.”
Conversely, Fubara’s camp views a Jonathan candidacy as a viable move, citing his reputation for peaceful leadership. Chief Ogbonna Nwuke, a former federal lawmaker and Fubara ally, said Jonathan “has every right to contest” and that the growing calls for him to run reflect “the confidence the people have in him.”
Meanwhile, Jonathan has been holding private meetings with other key opposition figures, most notably Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate for the Labour Party. The two men, who draw support from a similar base, are reportedly in talks to form a united front to challenge the incumbent President Bola Tinubu. Both camps are said to acknowledge that running independently would likely lead to a fragmented vote and hand Tinubu an easy victory. The outcome of their discussions could be a significant factor in shaping the 2027 race.
The coming months will determine whether Goodluck Jonathan’s potential return is a strategic move to unify the opposition or another chapter in the internal power struggles of Nigeria’s political parties.
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