Jimmy Arch
The leaders of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), the nation’s major opposition party, met with former President Goodluck Jonathan both domestically and abroad in an attempt to persuade him to run for president in 2027. According to reports, some senior PDP officials traveled to The Gambia in recent weeks in an effort to meet with Jonathan and convince him to accept the party’s ticket.
Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, the PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, added that the party’s attempt to court Jonathan was a reaction to mounting calls from Nigerians who now feel that his previous government was undervalued. Jerry Gana, a founding member of the PDP, reportedly referred to Jonathan when he stated in an interview that while Obi might be good, the PDP has someone greater.
According to political observers, the PDP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) purposefully zoned the 2027 presidential ticket to the Southern area so that Jonathan could run for the party’s presidential ticket. The PDP’s clear preference for Jonathan rests on the North’s acceptance of him because he is limited by the constitution to a four-year tenure.
In addition to the PDP mainstays, prominent individuals have joined those calling for Jonathan to run in 2027, including former presidents Olusegun Obasanjo, Yakubu Gowon, Ibrahim Babangida, and Abdulsalami Abubakar; retired military commanders; and state governors.
Jonathan is reportedly gaining support from powerful African leaders and foreign allies who see his candidacy as a stabilizing influence for Nigeria and the wider region, so support for his comeback is not limited to Nigeria.
However, despite rumors that his close associates are getting back together and have met, the former president has not openly rejected or agreed to run for office.
Jonathan’s wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, is however, opposing his aspirations. According to reports, Patience Jonathan, who has openly supported President Bola Tinubu’s reelection, is devastated by her husband’s change of heart. She counseled him against running for president in 2027 on any platform. She promised to back First Lady Oluremi Tinubu earlier in 2025, even going so far as to participate in her husband’s reelection campaign. As a result, her husband’s abrupt interest in running for president has caused tension in the Jonathan family. Patience Jonathan asserts that “I won’t go back to Aso Rock; my peace is enough.”
Some family loyalists, led by Jonathan’s cousin Azibola Robert, have become vocal supporters of Jonathan’s return to Aso Rock in 2027, despite his wife’s disapproval. They see Jonathan’s campaign as a patriotic obligation to save Nigeria from worsening socioeconomic problems.
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