Former President Goodluck Jonathan is being positioned for a political comeback, with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) preparing to present him as its candidate in the 2027 presidential race, according to a disclosure by party elder statesman Prof. Jerry Gana.
The revelation came during the PDP congress in Minna, Niger State, where new state executives were inaugurated.
On the sidelines of the gathering, Gana told journalists that Jonathan had agreed to return to the contest nearly a decade after leaving office. He argued that the political mood in the country was shifting in Jonathan’s favour.
“After Jonathan left in 2015, two administrations have come and gone. Nigerians now see the difference, and the call for Jonathan to return is growing louder,” Gana said, insisting that PDP members were determined to follow the people’s will.
Jonathan, who governed Nigeria from 2010 until his defeat in 2015, became widely respected for conceding the election peacefully, declaring that his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians. In the years since, he has gained international prominence through peace-building missions across Africa.
Gana dismissed doubts about PDP’s readiness for 2027, maintaining that the party’s nationwide roots and recent reconciliation efforts put it in a strong position to challenge for power. He said Nigerians remained attached to the PDP’s legacy of social programmes, which in his view explained the persistent calls for its return.
He also aimed at the current government’s handling of the economy, accusing it of creating barriers to foreign investment. “There are too many gatekeepers blocking opportunities. Investors want to bring money here, but they are being pushed away,” he claimed, arguing that Nigeria remained one of the best markets for global capital if only the climate were made friendlier.
With Jonathan’s name now firmly linked to the 2027 race, the PDP appears to be betting on nostalgia and his reputation for peaceful leadership to mount a comeback bid against the ruling party.
However, our reporter gathered that Bayelsa state-born Jonathan has tied his comeback bid to getting the presidential ticket of the coalition African Democrats Congress, ADC, with which he is negotiating the presidential ticket.
It is unclear at the time of this report if Jonathan has agreed to fly the flag of the crisis-torn PDP, as claimed by Gana.
“The former president lacks the structure and financial muscle to stage a strong presidential campaign, and it is generally believed that he would not get the ADC ticket if pitched against heavyweights like former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Mr Peter Obi and former Rivers Governor, Rotimi Amaechi.” one source said,
Another source hinted that Jonathan could be used as a spoiler to split President Bola Tinubu’s South base to pave the way for Atiku, who was one of his nemeses in 2015
