Ahead of the 2027 presidential election, pressure is mounting on former President, Goodluck Jonathan to join the race.

The former president is under pressure, especially from the northern opposition, to declare his interest to run against President Bola Tinubu.

Jonathan served as Nigerian president for about five years.

The former Bayelsa State governor became a president by chance following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in May 2010.

Yar’Adua served as the president of Nigeria from 2007 until his death in May 2010.

He won the Nigerian presidential election held on 21 April, 2007, and was sworn in on 29 May 2007.

On Thursday May 6, 2010, Jonathan was sworn in as 14th head of state and 4th executive President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

After completing the tenure of Yar’Adua, Jonathan contested and won the presidential election in 2011 but was defeated by the coalition of political parties under the All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2015, in his second attempt.

Back then in 2015, there was heated debate about an individual being sworn in thrice as the President of Nigeria as some groups opposed Jonathan’s emergence for this reason.

It was had then reported that some Northern youths called on Jonathan to bury his second term ambition, declaring that no Nigerian President can be sworn in thrice.

The youths, under the aegis of Arewa Youths Forum, AYF, said the then president had taken the oath of office twice.

The debate resonated again in 2023 when different positions on his eligibility for the 2023 presidential election made the rounds.

However, a Federal High Court in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, in a judgment delivered on Friday, May 27, 2022, cleared Jonathan for the 2023 Presidential contest.

This happened hours to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, presidential primary elections as there was anticipation that he would join the contest.

And by then, the former President was linked with the All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential race following the reported purchase of N100 million form on his behalf by a Fulani group.

The court held that Jonathan, who lost the 2015 election to President Muhammadu Buhari, could still vie for the highest political office in the country.

The presiding judge, Justice Isa Hamma Dashen, who gave the judgement, also held that Jonathan’s right to contest for the office of president in 2023 cannot be stopped by any retroactive law.

In an originating summons filed by Andy Solomon and Idibiye Abraham, the plaintiffs sought an order of the court stating that Jonathan is not affected by the fourth alteration to the constitution barring Vice-Presidents who succeed their principals from serving more than one full term.

APC, Jonathan and the Independent National Electoral Commission were listed as defendants in the suit marked FHC/YNG/CS/86/2022, before Justice Isa Dashen.

However, Jonathan did not contest during the 2023 presidential election, even with the claims that then President Muhammadu Buhari was aiming at compensating the Bayelsa-born politician for relinquishing power to him in 2015.

And now, as political discussions for 2027 have commenced in earnest, the former president appears to be under pressure to enter the race.

Just like in 2023, the pressure seems to be coming mostly from the North.

In accordance with the gentleman’s agreement between the north and the south, Jonathan’s presidency would favour the north as he would have to do just one term in office with no room for a second, according to the constitution.

Although the former President has not made public his decision on whether or not he is entering the race, those around are being quoted to say that he will be one of the leading candidates to confront President Tinubu in the 2027 presidential poll.

He is rumoured to be readying himself to run on the platform of the People Democratic Party, PDP, with stories in some sections of the media claiming that he had already accepted.

Meanwhile, as Jonathan’s potential candidacy for the 2027 presidential election remains uncertain, with no official announcements or confirmations from him or the PDP regarding his intentions, some Nigerians and political observers have recently shared divergent views about him.

Shehu Sani, a former lawmaker, who represented Kaduna Central Senatorial District, in a recent interview on Channels Television, gave reasons Jonathan should not contest the forthcoming 2027 presidential election.

Sani said the PDP, the party Jonathan used to win the election in 2011, is no longer the same.

He advised the ex-president to jettison the idea of running for president come 2027.

Also, Dele Farotimi, a frontline lawyer, said that some politicians are trying hard to rebrand Jonathan, who was voted out of office by Nigerians in 2015 for valid reasons.

He pointed out that there were good reasons Nigerians decided to vote Jonathan out in 2015 which they believed was the solution to the country’s problems, but ended up in a worse situation

For a human rights lawyer, Deji Adeyanju, Jonathan is not interested in contesting the 2027 presidential election.

Meanwhile, when asked , if the PDP was ready to receive Jonathan’s ambition with open arms and hand him the party’s sole presidential ticket, the PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, said the matter was still speculative.

But in a telephone interview , Dr Adetokunbo Pearse, a Lagos PDP chieftain and former member, Atiku Abubakar 2023 presidential campaign council, said he does not expect someone like Goodluck Jonathan to get the nod of the PDP even if he shows interest to run in the election.

Pearse, a former PDP national chairmanship aspirant and gubernatorial candidate in Lagos State, said Goodluck Jonathan, a full member of PDP, was more than welcome to come and run if he wants to, especially as the party has zoned the presidency to the South.

However, he noted that Jonathan has not been an active member of the party, doesn’t fund the party and shows no moral support.

He pointed out that Jonathan’s candidacy could lead to litigation, a risk the PDP is not ready to take.

“He’s not just coming to PDP. Jonathan is a member of PDP. He has not been very active; nonetheless, he’s a full member of the party.

“So as a member of the party, and since the party has zoned the presidency to the south, he’s more than welcome to come and run if he wants to run.

“My suspicion, though, is two things. Number one, he has been away from the party. He has not been involved, he has not been helpful, he has not been encouraging.

“He has not been funding the party, no moral support for about five years now. Therefore, I don’t see how he could get the nomination, because where will he get the delegates, so that’s the problem.

“So if he wants to run, I don’t think he will win the primaries. And by the way, we don’t give tickets to anybody. We support whoever wants to run, and then they go and look for delegates. If they win the primaries with more delegates, then they become the nominee.

“Secondly, I don’t think it is in the best interest of the PDP to even field a person like Jonathan, because there is this question of whether or not he’s even legally qualified to run after being sworn in twice.

“Some people, some legal reading says, yes, you can run. Others, they cannot run. When you have such doubt. Don’t you think it is best for a party not to field him at all, not to support him? You see my point. I think he’s disqualified because court cases will come up. That is too risky. That is the point.

“We have people in the party who are running. The Governor of Oyo state has stated it clearly and he stands a good chance of winning the ticket.

“If he wins the ticket, I assure you he will defeat Tinubu in 2027. So what is this whole cry about Jonathan? I don’t understand what is going on in this country. Some people are calling Jonathan, others are calling for Tinubu, Atiku and all these old expired people.

“Why don’t we even support a new generation of leaders. By 2027, Makinde will be, I think, 59 years old. That’s what we need now. He has been tried in Oyo state, and he has performed extremely well, therefore, we don’t have a problem of who becomes the PDP candidate.

“But if Jonathan is to come, I just told you, my opinion, if he comes, I doubt he would be able to put together a number of delegates to defeat Makinde in the primaries.

“Secondly, it is not in the interest of PDP to field somebody who may become subject of litigation in the future.”

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There are strong indications that the November national convention of the Peoples Democratic Party scheduled for Ibadan, Oyo State, may be derailed following a threat by the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike, to halt the event.

Wike’s opposition to the convention is believed to be the result of his rift with his erstwhile ally, Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State and other unresolved issues in the party.

Ahead of the elective convention slated for November 16, the PDP has, however, issued a stern warning to the minister over his moves against the party’s plans.

PDP National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, in an interview with selected journalists in Abuja on Wednesday, cautioned that decisive action under the party’s constitution would be taken against him should he continue to undermine the collective interests of the party.

PDP National Executive Committee members, including Deputy National Youth Leader Timothy Osadolor and former National Vice Chairman (South West) Eddy Olafeso, accused Wike of overstepping his bounds, vowing to resist his moves.

They stressed that the party was undergoing a rebuilding process and would strengthen its structure through the Ibadan convention, insisting that no individual could obstruct internal party activities, particularly with the Independent National Electoral Commission already involved.

The PDP only just emerged from months of internal crisis that saw the defection of key figures, including its 2019 and 2023 presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, his running mate and former Delta State Governor, Ifeanyi Okowa, as well as Delta State Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, Akwa Ibom State Governor Umo Eno, and other prominent leaders to the APC and the newly formed African Democratic Congress.

In a bid to restructure and reposition itself, the party, during its 101st NEC meeting on July 24, resolved to convene a National Elective Convention in Ibadan, Oyo State, on November 15 and 16, where 19 new members will be elected into the National Working Committee.

Dissatisfied with the South-South Caretaker Committee constituted by the PDP NWC and the retention of Ali Odefa as National Vice Chairman (South East), Wike vowed that his camp would resist the party’s decision.

Speaking during an interview on Channels TV programme, ‘Politics Today,’ on Tuesday night, the former Rivers State governor cautioned that the party’s crisis might appear resolved for now, fresh crisis could erupt if the PDP refused to acknowledge the zonal congress that elected Dan Orbih as National Vice Chairman, South-South.

He said, “Well, it is over for now. There are a few things remaining and I have told them that they must do it. Our congress was held in Calabar, and there’s nothing anybody can tell us. If they want to have another round of crisis, so be it. In that congress, Chief Dan Orbih emerged as the National Vice Chairman. They never wanted the congress to hold but congress was held.

“The so-called acting national chairman of the party wrote a letter to INEC after congress was held that the congress has been postponed. There is no two ways about it. The National Vice Chairman of PDP South-South is Chief Dan Orbih. If they don’t agree, that’s another round of crisis,” he threatened.

Wike also argued that the party must deal with its South-East zonal chairman, Ali Odefa, who had been sacked from the party by an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.

“The south-east vice chairman, Ali Odefa, is no longer a member of the party. These are the things I tell people. What I don’t like is impunity. And for someone like me, we will not condone it. I will not allow it. We will fight it except they correct it.’’

Wike added that the national convention being put together by the party might end up in crisis if the anomalies in the PDP were not corrected.

“They said that they are going for their convention in November. I am not part of it until they have corrected it. Let us wait, there is still time for them to resolve it. Before you talk about the convention, resolve the matter. If the matter is not resolved, there will be a crisis.”

He dismissed reports suggesting that a parallel convention was being plotted, insisting that no formal decision had been taken by the party’s NEC.

“I am not aware that any convention would be held in Ibadan. As a NEC member, nobody has informed me, and no such decision has been voted on by NEC. If a few people gather to make pronouncements, that cannot pass for NEC,” Wike said.

He pledged that his group would continue to fight against injustice within the PDP.

The FCT Minister stated, “I am not aware of any convention. If notice of a meeting is not given to members of the NEC, we have the right to challenge it, and nobody can deny me that right.”

When questioned about whether he would take the matter to court, Wike responded, “Our group is meeting tomorrow, and obviously, I don’t think we will allow injustice to prevail. I can assure you that we will not allow it. Nobody serves the interests of the PDP more than I do. None of them.”

Our correspondents in Abuja reported that former governors Samuel Ortom (Benue), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), PDP National Secretary Samuel Anyanwu, and other allies of Wike were spotted together on Tuesday.

Although the Wike group’s meeting had not yet been held as of press time, sources close to the minister indicated that it would take place soon, and their resolution would be announced publicly.

A source in the minister’s camp, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to comment on the issue, told The PUNCH that Wike’s group was prepared to fight till the end.

He stated, “We will meet later today (Wednesday). What I can assure you is that Wike and some of us will fight to the end. The injustice in the South-South and South-East will not stand.

“If the party is not ready to correct this, we will do everything legally possible to address it. But if they want the convention to hold, they must act; otherwise, they will be surprised.”

Reacting, Ologunagba, who countered Wike, said all NEC members were duly informed, and insisted that the National Elective Convention would hold as scheduled.

He stated, “Our NEC and other meetings have been convened properly. We follow the due process. INEC has been duly informed, as expected, of the meetings of the NEC relating to those issues. And in any event, I do not intend to join issues with anybody on this matter.

“The PDP constitution is there, we follow through the constitution. Our preparation is going on. The NEC, which is the second-highest decision-making body of this party, has fixed the venue for the national convention NEC selected the venue, and the venue is Ibadan, Oyo State, on the 15th and 16th of November 2025.

“That national convention will hold on the 15th and 16th of November 2025 in Ibadan, Oyo State. Like I referenced earlier, the train moving towards the national convention has moved, and it’s arriving at its destination because right now all arrangements and all committees are working seamlessly towards a successful national convention at Ibadan.

“In any event, we have documents showing that every relevant person, including Minister Wike, was referenced, and evidence showed that he actually received a letter duly acknowledged and signed for from his office. If there are challenges within his office, we cannot be held accountable for that. In addition to that personalised letter, there was a publication in the national dailies. So, there’s adequate notice: members have approved it, NEC approved it, secretaries approved it, all organs have approved it, and we’re fine, we’re going, we’re coasting on to the national convention in Ibadan.”

In response to a question on how the PDP would handle Wike and his group’s decision to oppose the party’s plan, Ologunagba said that the party would take “necessary steps.”

The PDP Publicity secretary added, “Well, again, I do know that this party has done everything that is within the law, following the constitution, and we will continue to follow the constitution. If there are actions inconsistent with that constitution, the necessary actions will kick in. We’ve said that before, and we mean every word we have said as a party.

“Look, a party is a voluntary thing;  there’s free entry and free exit. When you choose to leave, you can leave, but it will be irreconcilable for you, or any member, to stay within a party that has rules and not follow those rules. So, for us, we are not joining issues with anybody. We are not going to be raising issues with anybody. We are focused on our process to have a seamless national convention, and we will do that because this is the hope of democracy in this country.

“We are focused, laser-focused, on what to do in the interest of democracy, in the interest of our party. But we have said it again, and we’ll say it again: there will be zero tolerance for disloyalty in our great party. PDP is a party of process, a party of rule and law. There are established ways of taking action and seeking redress that are consistent with the constitution, we will insist on that constitutional provision and do what is necessary and appropriate.”

Also, the PDP Deputy National Youth Leader, Osadolor, warned Wike’s group, reminding them that the Supreme Court has repeatedly ruled that internal party matters are non-justiciable.

He stated, “First of all, we are all aware that the convention has not been held. We are also aware that NEC held, and INEC participated in the last NEC, where resolutions on the convention that is going to hold in Ibadan on November 15 and 16 were taken, and they were duly notified.

“Again, this issue of going to court, like they are threatening, I wonder what has informed all of that. But again, I am aware, everybody’s aware, the Supreme Court made a pronouncement that internal dealings and affairs of political parties are not justiciable. It was a landmark pronouncement during the case of Anyanwu versus the Southeast Leaders, and the LP case versus Abure. And all of these two judgments came in the earlier part and the middle part of this year.

“I wonder which court will now entertain the briefs on issues that border on the internal affairs of political parties, having heard from the Apex Court. Again, I think the FCT Minister is overreaching himself by wanting to put himself first and above the collective interests of the political party he claims to belong to.

“And, therefore, I will urge him to take a second thought and not put himself on the wrong side of history. Because the PDP is rebuilding currently, and efforts so far have shown that Nigerians are appreciating the rebuilding that is currently going on within the party.”

Osadolor called on all party members to support the PDP’s rebuilding efforts, stressing that no single individual can prevent the party from carrying out its plans.

The NEC member stated, “Therefore, any party member should not be seen to be derailing the progress that the party has made post the defections of some adventurous governors and senators.

“So, I want to also use this medium to tell you, Nigerians, the PDP will remain committed to its programs, and it remains undeterred in having a national convention that will usher in the next set of national committee members to pilot the affairs of the party.

“No matter who is going to court or who is not going to court, the programs of the party are set, and nothing will go against it.”

Another NEC member, Olafeso, on his part, vowed that Wike’s attempts to undermine the PDP would be resisted.

He stated, “In the final analysis, it’s obvious that Wike plans to destroy our party, and nobody will allow that for him. He’s heading for the final battle, and we’re ready for him. As far as we are concerned, we followed all the due processes to come this far.

“And he, and any other person on this planet, cannot stop us. Sometimes the arrogance of power will make them look as if everything is possible. The lawlessness that he’s exhibiting is quite unfortunate because the truth is that we are guided by a constitution.

“And that just stipulates how to move forward. We have to manage ourselves. We have followed the constitution all through. We are waiting for them to go to court. We’ll meet them there.”

Also, a former Deputy National Chairman, Chief Bode George, has described the threat of Wike to stop the party’s convention slated for Ibadan in November as a mere noise.

The PDP chieftain said the decision of the NEC of the party is superior to the personal craving of any individual, no matter how powerful.

He said, “No individual owns this party (PDP). NEC decided that there will be a national convention, and it will be held in Ibadan. Any individual can make his noise. PDP is not like the All Progressives Congress, which is owned by one person. It is the decision of the NEC authority that is taking us to a national convention.

“I will advise my political son (Wike) to just follow the rules. Otherwise, if he goes beyond that, the party has its own laws. Wike cannot dictate to people like me and many other oldies who are still fully in PDP. I don’t know why he said that (threat to scuttle the Ibadan convention). I am not happy that he said that.

“The party will take appropriate action. We have a NEC meeting coming up on Monday. I will support the procedures and the rules as stated in our constitution. No individual can change the rules, no matter what. Ibadan is the venue of our convention, and Ibadan we will go.”

Attempts to reach the PDP National Secretary, Anyanwu, a member of Wike’s camp, for a reaction were unsuccessful, as his phone was switched off at the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Oyo State PDP Chairman, Dayo Ogungbenro, stated that the party’s leaders would resolve the issues bedeviling the party ahead of the November convention.

Ogungbenro said, “Well, I think I read it (Wike’s threat) in the newspaper today (Wednesday), I just laughed! It’s a sheer political statement, nothing less, nothing more. Because he is somebody I respect so much, whom my Governor, Seyi Makinde, worked, and stood for and by extension, the PDP in the state.

“He (Wike) should know that we supported him wholeheartedly, but that’s politics for you. So, let’s wait and see. Everything is politics, and our leaders will resolve it, no matter what happens,” he stated.

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Nigerian lawyer cum public affairs analyst, Dele Farotimi, has stated that Nigerians are fully aware of the deceitful nature of their leaders.

It was reports that Farotimi made this known during an interview with News Central, asserting that the Africa Democratic Congress (ADC) coalition against President Bola Tinubu has already failed because the party is recycling characters who have ruined Nigeria.

The activist accused the ADC coalition of building its relevance around politicians who contributed to the current state of the country, adding that such tactics no longer deceive Nigerians.

He said, “If all that they are doing in the name of coalition is that they are going to bring that odious fellow from Kaduna; bringing characters that have ruined this country; the one who couldn’t even pay my grandfather’s gratuity in Osun, if it’s those ones, they have lost.

“Nigerians are aware that their politicians are fraudsters.”

Farotimi also accused Tinubu’s government of surrounding itself with people who are incapable of questioning authorities, even as they destroy the country.

He said, “The government and the people within Tinubu’s government should say what they are saying. People can’t even walk around freely in cities, and they are talking about how well they are doing. When they come out and they tell you all the things that are working, it means it’s working for them. All they need is to recruit more people who are incapable of questioning them even as they destroy the country.”

Farotimi likened state Governors to the character of a popular skit maker, Governor Amuneke, whose video content is predicated on the promise and fail attitude of governors.

According to him, Nigeria is plagued by dishonest leaders across different states.

He said, “Look at that one in Imo State that was lying to the people that they were going to be having jobs abroad once they won the election. How many jobs have come from Europe for the people of Imo State since they went there?

“There are so many Governor Amuneke all over Nigeria.”

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