By Baba Martins, Seun Adeuyi, Musa Luka Musa (Abuja) & Peter Moses — DailyTrust
Former President Goodluck Jonathan, yesterday caused an uproar on the political scene when he stated that he will consult widely whether or not to join the 2027 presidential race.
There has been calls on the former president to contest the presidency since 2023. Analysts say since the deadline for political parties to submit their membership registration to INEC expires May10, it is expected that he may have made up his mind on whether to contest the 2027 elections or not.
Jonathan’s comment has consequently been interpreted to mean that he is not averse to the idea and may be interested in contesting the position,
Jonathan assumed office as president after his boss former president Umaru Yar’adua passed away. He contested in 2011 and won but his attempt to re-contest in 2015, did not pull through as he was defeated by late president Muhammadu Buhari.
In 2025, a group of Peoples Democratic Party stalwarts attempted to lure the former president to contest, but he declined. His recent statement, however, gives hope to those wishing he would contest that he has kept an open mind towards it.
I will consult, says Jonathan
When a group of young persons under the auspices of Coalition for Jonathan 2027, visited him in his office in Abuja, on Thursday, Jonathan stressed the importance of patriotism, peace, and active youth participation in the electoral process.
He noted Nigeria’s persistently low voter turnout despite its huge voting population and urged young people, especially to obtain their voter cards and get fully involved in politics.
While acknowledging the call for him to run again, the ex-president stopped short of an immediate declaration but left the door wide open.
“I’ve heard you and I will consult widely,” he said, in what many interpret as his strongest indication yet of possible interest in the 2027 contest.
The Coalition for Jonathan 2027, led by Dr. Tom Ohikere, had earlier presented a strongly worded appeal, recalling their previous visit on April 8, 2026.
“Last month, April 8th 2026, The Coalition For Jonathan 2027 paid a friendly visit to your excellency to urge you to run for the 2027 presidential elections to save Nigeria from the impending collapse. Though we did not meet you in person, we believe that our message was unreservedly passed on to you, as it was to the entire Nigerian people through the media.
“Since then, we have had little information as to whether you have yielded to our clarion call as you have not yet, within our knowledge, picked a nomination for the presidential contest in any registered political party.”
Responding, Jonathan said, “I’ve heard you and I will consult widely. You are asking me to come and contest the next election. Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you and I’ll consult widely.
“The key thing we need in this country is peace. You continue to advocate for that. And you continue to advocate for peaceful and credible elections in the country. Because if we don’t have peaceful and credible elections, most good citizens will not want to bother to get involved in politics.
“I cannot just wake up and say I want to be the president of Nigeria again. But I am telling you that I will consult. If there is a need to, I will wait.”
The former president also challenged the youths to take part in the electoral process by registering and obtaining voter cards instead of limiting their involvement to political discussions.
“If I ask how many of you have your voter’s card now, probably 50 per cent of you don’t have your voter’s card and you’re asking me to go and contest the election. So you must participate in the electoral process. Nigeria has the least voter turnout among nations I’ve monitored elections”.
Jonathan decried the low voter turnout during elections in Nigeria, declaring that the country has the lowest among countries he has monitored election.
Jonathan, post presidency
Since he lost the presidential election in 2015, the ex-president has led various election missions to several African countries and beyond.
In January 2024, the Commonwealth appointed Jonathan, as head of its Election Observation Mission to Pakistan’s general elections scheduled for February of the same year.
Earlier this year, Jonathan was in Kampala, Uganda, to lead a joint election observation mission by the African Union, the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD).
In all, the Bayelsa born former president said he has monitored elections in over 14 African countries and even in South East Asia, but lamented that he has never seen the type of voter apathy in Nigeria, elsewhere.
Jonathan stressed the importance of patriotism, peace, and active youth participation in the electoral process.
He said, “I have observed election in about 14 African countries and some more than two times and some countries in South East Asia. Nigeria has the lowest turnout in elections in every election cycle.
“We have the lowest voter apathy, it seems people are not even interested in their elections. We have the least, I have never been to a country with the lowest numbers that we have. INEC needs to study it and find out what is wrong, what is the cause, and do something about it.”
He asked young Nigerians to get their PVC and be involved in the election, saying, “you must be patriotic, you must partake in the electoral process.”
Ahead 2023
Ahead of the 2023 general elections, former President Goodluck Jonathan, though refused to contest, was under pressure to take part in the election.
Various groups urged him to contest, with one of them purchasing the form for him.
But at the end of the day, the former president chose to focus on his role as an elder statesman and international election observer.
But in a statement then, the former president said he did not authorise the purchase of the nomination forms to participate in the primary election.
The statement said, “While we appreciate the overwhelming request by a cross-section of Nigerians, for Dr Jonathan to make himself available for the 2023 presidential election, we wish to state that he has not in any way, committed himself to this request.
“We wish to categorically state that Dr Jonathan was not aware of this bid and did not authorise it,” the former president’s spokesman, Ikechukwu Eze said.
Why Jonathan is yet to make up his mind
Sources close to the former president told Daily Trust that he is actually conferring with his political allies on whether he should join the fray and contest the elections.
The source who worked with the ex-president while in office said his core team is already working round the clock to see if the call resonates with majority of Nigerians.
The source said, “people coming to ask Jonathan to join the presidential race have seen the situation in the country and believe that he has what it takes to turn things around. So, normally, the president will not want to tell them off, that he would not contest.
“But the issues surrounding the political space now is different from when Jonathan was president. The insecurity has increased. You can also see the state of the opposition political parties. So while the ex president will want to come and do his part in the growth of the country; these are issues that he is considering and discussing with his allies and hopefully in the next few days, he will make his position known.”
One of Jonathan’s strong supporters ahead of the 2015 elections, Udenta Udenta, when contacted, said he could not comment on the Jonathan ambition now since the former president has said he is still consulting.
“What do you want me to say since the man has said he is still consulting? You know, I’ve always supported Jonathan and Peter Obi, but one says he is consulting while the other is in the race. So, he has not yet made up his mind. Till then I cannot put words in his mouth,” he said.
A Federal High Court in Abuja, will today hear a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The case, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025 and was instituted by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, who is asking the court to declare Jonathan constitutionally ineligible to seek the presidency again.
Justice Peter Lifu had, on April 28, ordered that hearing notices be served on the defendants after they failed to file their responses within the stipulated time.
Jonathan is listed as the first defendant in the suit, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation are named as second and third defendants respectively.
The plaintiff is seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as a candidate for the 2027 election.
Jideobi is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
In the suit, the plaintiff asked the court to determine whether, based on Sections 1(1), (2), (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, Jonathan remains eligible under any circumstances to contest for Nigeria’s highest office again.
According to the plaintiff, Jonathan had already exhausted the constitutional limit for the office after completing the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar’adua and subsequently serving a full four-year term following the 2011 election.
An affidavit filed in support of the suit by Emmanuel Agida stated that Jonathan assumed office as president on May 6, 2010, after Yar’Adua died a day earlier.
Agida said reports suggesting Jonathan may be interested in the 2027 election informed the decision to approach the court.
“The plaintiff believes that the 1st defendant, having completed the unexpired term of late President Yar’adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president,” the affidavit stated.
The plaintiff further argued that unless the court intervenes, a political party could nominate Jonathan for the election in violation of constitutional provisions.
According to the affidavit, if Jonathan contests and wins the election, he would be taking the presidential oath of office for the third time.
Agida maintained that the suit was filed in the public interest and to uphold the supremacy of the constitution and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Be wary of sycophants, Prof Ojo tells Jonathan
A political scientist, Prof Emmanuel Ojo, has warned former President Goodluck Jonathan to be wary of sycophants calling on him to join the presidential race.
Ojo told Daily Trust that Jonathan’s attempt to re-contest amounts to a political gamble due to the legal hurdles before him.
“He needs to be careful of the sycophants. Sycophants in the sense that protesting that he should come and re-contest to become president again will be a gamble,” he said.
He said Jonathan has been vice president, acting president and president, saying this has created a legal challenge for his eligibility to re-contest the country’s top job.
“So the number of times he had been sworn in may give him legal problem in an attempt to come back. He will be wasting his money,” he said.
He admitted that Jonathan remains popular because he ran a “good government” while in office, but added that the legal issue and region do not favour his ambition.
The former Chief of Staff to late Governor Abiola Ajimobi said Jonathan hails from South South, but the current power shift agitation favours Southeast more. He also said Jonathan has a choice of political party to contend with.
“The fundamental problem with chance or no chance is platform. The PDP he used has been disrupted. The party cannot get its act right anymore; with endless crises and conflicts. And if you want to look for a brand new political party; that will cost a lot of money to build. So before the election, to build a new party between now and next year and make the party popular is another gamble. But I don’t see him having any serious chances,” Ojo said.
‘He stands no chance of winning’
Political analysts, Jide Ojo and Prof. Saleh Dauda, have dismissed calls by some youths urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to return to active politics and contest the 2027 presidential election, saying his chances of victory are slim.
The analysts spoke following a visit by some youths to Jonathan’s residence in Abuja, where they appealed to him to contest the 2027 election.
Reacting to the development, political analyst, Jide Ojo, said those promoting Jonathan’s return were merely trying to weaken the South politically ahead of the election.
Ojo argued that Jonathan had largely stayed away from partisan politics since leaving office in 2015 and had instead focused on peace-building activities across Africa.
“This man has decided to mind his own business, certifying peace efforts, observing elections across Africa and running his foundation. So why drag him into partisan politics now?” he asked.
According to him, Jonathan’s chances of winning the presidency are “next to nothing.”
“He has not been politically active since 2016. He has not built any political support base or movement. So, the bottom line is that he will not win,” Ojo said.
He added that even those encouraging the former president to run were not expecting him to emerge victorious.
“They don’t want him to win. What they simply want is to polarise and fragment the southern vote,” he said.
On the issue of political platform, Ojo questioned which party Jonathan would contest under, noting that party primaries were already close.
“Today is May 6 and party primaries are expected soon. Under which platform does he want to contest?” he queried.
Also speaking, Prof. Saleh Dauda advised Jonathan to ignore the calls and stay away from active politics.
“Let me be frank with you. If there is any advice I can give Jonathan, it is to stay away from this frivolous move,” he said.
Dauda said the realities of Nigerian politics did not favour the former president.
“His chances of winning an election, as far as I understand, is zero,” he stated.
When asked again if Jonathan’s chances were truly nonexistent, the professor replied: “Yes, given the nature of Nigerian politics.”
