Northern politicians are nudging former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race to thwart President Bola Tinubu’s possible second term ambition over alleged marginalisation of the north by his government
By Akinwande Soji-Ojo
Just like it was in the buildup to the 2023 presidential election, pressure is being mounted on former President Goodluck Jonathan, who was in power between May 6, 2010 and May 29, 2015, to contest against the incumbent President Bola Tinubu, who may likely seek a re-election in 2027. Jonathan was defeated by the immediate past President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 when he sought a seconterm in office.
The call is coming on the heels of continuous condemnation for the Tinubu-led administration in the last one year for what critics term anti-people policies, which, they argued, have impoverished Nigerians, and create hardship and hunger in the land.
Indeed, many Nigerians believe that if the situation remains as it is till the next election season, Tinubu might find it difficult to retain his seat. It is, therefore, not surprising that some prominent Nigerians are already shopping for a replacement. Jonathan, who was ousted in 2015 as a result of opposition parties merger, is once more touted as a replacement for Tinubu, who have just spent 15 months in office.
In 2022, news broke that the former president was on the verge of joining All Progressives Congress (APC) after a coalition of northern socio-cultural groups of Fulani extraction purchased the party’s N100 million nomination and expression of interest forms for him yo seek the party’s 2023 presidential ticket. Jonathan, however, debunked the reports and rejected the forms. Speaking through his Media Adviser, Ikechukwu Eze, at the time, the former president said it was an insult for the group to buy the forms for him without his permission.
The same scenario is playing out again like the deja vu phenomenon. Out of the options available to the APC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the North, Jonathan is considered the real deal as a result of his known inability to run for two terms. Others are touted to harbour the ambition to go for another term if backed for the 2027 election, which explains why Jonathan appears the most preferred bride among the caucuses and the northern oligarchy. The collaboration, they believe, is a win-win situation where both parties will eat their cake and still have it.
Northern politicians are said to be fed up with Tinubu’s administration over alleged marginalisation of the region. According to a source, it will do the North a lot of good if Tinubu is prevented from coming back in 2027. However, the dilemma of the North is that in replacing Tinubu by another southerner, they may be supporting someone who may want to complete eight years in office, thereby leaving the South to hold power for 12 years.
That is where Jonathan option comes into the equation. Having spent a total of six years (first two to complete the joint ticket of late President Umaru Yar’adua and him as the vice president, and a four-year term as elected president), he is only permitted by constitution to spend four more years. This will ensure he doesn’t stand as a stumbling block in 2031 when the North would wants to regain power.
In the North where Tinubu is being perceived by many politicians as a public enemy, northern bigwigs, including Bauchi State governor, Bala Mohammed, have asked for Jonathan’s return. The Bauchi governor, who served in the administration of Jonathan, said he is contemplating a presidential bid, but will drop his ambition if his former boss decides to contest, adding that it is the only reason he would step down.
Mohammed stated this after a Non-Governmental Organisation (NGO) recently asked him to consider running for the presidency. According to him, Jonathan has experience and would do a better job if he gets the mandate to manage the country.
“With regard to your call for me to present myself, I am still contemplating my chances as the leader of the opposition. I know there are good leaders within the PDP, especially my boss, Goodluck Jonathan.
“I have always said that as long as Jonathan is around, I will not present myself for leadership of this country, unless he decides not to run. If we can persuade him to come forward, I will support him with my blood. Out of modesty, he is still not ready. I hope you will meet him and encourage him to run.
“He will do a better job because he has the experience. We know the prices of things; we know the level of inflation during Jonathan’s regime. He was inclusive, addressing issues like the Almajiri system and creating initiatives for unemployed youths.
“His leadership recruitment was exemplary. We need leaders like him – young people with energy, foresight and drive,” he said.
The Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Ibrahim Abdullahi, also echoed Mohammed’s view, saying the positions of the Bauchi governor and northern elites resonated with the opposition party.
“We are absolutely in support of the position of the Bauchi State governor. Don’t forget, he was a prominent member of the Jonathan administration where he was a minister. As the chairman of the 13 governors of the PDP, a two-term minister, former senator and a two-term governor rounding off his second term, you will expect him to understand and appreciate the situation of where this country is coming from, where it is at the moment, and where we hope to take it to in the future,” he said.
Emphasising the talk about a southern presidency in 2027, Abdullahi said, “we should be looking at one who had enjoyed one term and will probably give Nigerians hope and prosperity as opposed to the one we have in power. Secondly, if you are also talking about a nationalist, somebody who would not rig an election to keep himself in office, who announced before the counting process was over, that he lost, it has to be Jonathan.
“You remember that he called the victor, congratulated him and asked him to send people for the transition process. So, it is this kind of person with a listening ear that we believe can save the situation. No President in Nigerian history has been as criticised as Ebele Jonathan. We tolerated all sorts of insults targeted at us and his Presidency. But today, he is the one everybody is looking for with torchlight, even in broad daylight.”
Across the length and breadth of the nation, there are feelers that Jonathan remains a much sought after personality. Although 2027 is still over 30 months away, the next couple of months will reveal a lot about the 2027 presidential contest and the gladiators that will be at the forefront. But the question some Nigerians are asking is whether Jonathan will succumb to the mounting pressure, or will he, like he did in 2022, turn down the request.