Speculations about former President Goodluck Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race in 2027 under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have sparked political tension and legal battles in Abuja.
Reports indicate that Jonathan has been dragged before the Federal High Court in Abuja over his alleged plan to contest the 2027 election.
This development follows comments by former Minister of Information and PDP chieftain, Professor Jerry Gana, who recently confirmed in Minna that Jonathan would contest as the PDP’s presidential candidate in 2027.
Gana said, “In 2015, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan said his ambition is not worth the blood of Nigerians. After him another president ruled for eight years and now another has ruled for two years. Nigerians have seen the difference and the difference is very clear. Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate and you will vote for him to return as President again.”
Following Gana’s remarks, the Presidency has reportedly become uneasy over the possibility of Jonathan joining the race.
In a new twist, a lawyer, Mr. Johnmary Chukwukasi Jideobi, has filed a suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, seeking to disqualify the former president from contesting.
Jideobi is asking the court to issue a perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for the 2027 presidential election. He also urged the court to bar the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated presidential candidate.
The suit lists Jonathan as the first defendant, while INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation are the second and third defendants, respectively.
The plaintiff’s central question before the court is, “Whether in view of the combined provisions of Sections 1(1), (2) & (3) and 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended and their conflated interpretation, the 1st Defendant is eligible, under any circumstances [whatsoever] to contest for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?”
Presidency: Jonathan Was a Disaster
Reacting to the development, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga described Jonathan’s record in office as “disastrous,” challenging him to face President Bola Tinubu in 2027 if he wishes.
Onanuga stated that his remarks were partly a response to efforts by Gana to “draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race” on the platform of the PDP.
“Let us remind ourselves about Jonathan’s record. We cannot forget in a hurry how his regime, devoid of any clear economic agenda, engaged in frivolous spending, ran the economy aground and put the country in dire straits,” Onanuga said.
He also questioned Jonathan’s eligibility for another term, adding, “The jury will determine whether Jonathan, who was sworn in twice as president, satisfies the constitutional requirements and is eligible to contest the presidency and be sworn in, if successful, for a third term in office.”
Jonathan was first sworn in as president in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and later elected for a full term in 2011 before losing to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
‘Abuse of Court Process’ – SAN Dismisses Suit
Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Oba Maduabuchi, has dismissed the suit as an “abuse of court process.”
Speaking on Arise Television’s Morning Show, Maduabuchi said the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled by a competent court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, and that the judgment remains valid as no appeal had been filed against it.
He explained that Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, which limits a person to one further term if they have previously completed another’s tenure, was introduced in 2018 — three years after Jonathan left office.
“The issue of the qualification or non-qualification of Dr. Goodluck Jonathan has been settled by the court in Yenagoa. Nobody has taken that issue on appeal. Until that judgment is set aside, it remains what the law is,” he said.
APC: Jonathan Will Need ‘Overdose of Good Luck’
The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has mocked the PDP’s alleged plan to return Jonathan to Aso Rock, calling it a “desperate political move rooted in nostalgia rather than competence.”
In a statement by its spokesperson, Seye Oladejo, the party said, “If he chooses to run, President Jonathan will need more than an overdose of good luck to stand a chance. The landmines before him are numerous – legal, records, and fundamental questions of capacity.”
Okonkwo Advises Jonathan to Stay Away
Veteran Nollywood actor and lawyer, Kenneth Okonkwo, has cautioned Jonathan against joining the 2027 presidential race.
He said, “My own advice is that Jonathan should not consider contesting for the presidency in 2027. He should not contemplate it. The same forces that nearly destroyed his name when they were not in power are now in power, they will take his name to toilet.”
Kukah: ‘The Voice of the Devil Not Far from the Voice of God’
Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Mathew Hassan Kukah, has also advised Jonathan to be wary of those urging him to contest.
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana, Kukah praised Jonathan’s 2015 concession of defeat as a defining act of honor but urged him to exercise caution.
Quoting General Theophilus Danjuma, Kukah said, “The voice of the devil is not so far from the voice of God. Listen very carefully to those who want to use you as an instrument for the elongation of their interests, and not your interests or the interests of Nigeria.”
Analyst: Tinubu Camp Jittery Over Jonathan’s Speculated Return
Public Affairs Analyst and Communication Scholar at Peaceland University, Enugu, Dr. Nduka Odo, said the anxiety within the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Tinubu camp is a natural reaction to the possibility of Jonathan re-entering the race.
Odo said, “APC and Tinubu camps are doing the appropriate thing by being jittery over the permutations that former President Goodluck Jonathan will contest in 2027. Everything they are doing and all their reactions are expected if we want to be honest with ourselves.”
He added that the ruling party’s attacks on Jonathan and other opposition figures like Peter Obi are driven by fear of losing power rather than principle.
“They may think they’re smart, but it is obvious to all that they do this out of the fear of losing the 2027 elections. Nigerians see this,” Odo stated.
