Former President Goodluck Jonathan has stated that he will consult widely before making a decision on calls urging him to contest the 2027 presidential election. Speaking in Abuja on Thursday while receiving youth groups, Jonathan stressed that the race for the highest office in the country “is not a computer game.” He noted that he had taken note of the appeal but would not rush into a political decision without extensive consultations. “I will consult. I cannot just wake up and say I want to be the president of Nigeria again. But I am telling you that I will consult. If there is a need to, I will wait,” he stated.
The former President also urged young Nigerians to promote peace and credible elections, warning that a lack of transparent processes discouraged competent citizens from participating in politics. He lamented the low voter turnout in Nigeria, remarking that “Nigeria has the lowest turnout in every election cycle.” Jonathan challenged the youth to be more involved in the electoral process, stating, “If I ask how many of you have your voter’s card now, probably 50 per cent of you don’t have your voter’s card. And you’re asking me to go and contest the election. So you must participate in the electoral process.”
This development comes as the Federal High Court in Abuja is set to hear a suit today, Friday, seeking to bar Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election. The suit filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi asks the court to declare the former President ineligible on the grounds that he has allegedly exceeded the constitutional limit for holding the office. The plaintiff argued that Jonathan has already exhausted the constitutional limit of two terms, having completed the tenure of late President Umaru Yar’Adua before serving another full term after winning the 2011 election. An affidavit deposed to by Emmanuel Agida in support of the suit stated, “the plaintiff believes that the 1st defendant, having completed the unexpired term of late President Yar’Adua and subsequently served a full term after the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two tenures as president.”
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Democratic Congress has dismissed speculations that it has entered into a pact with Jonathan ahead of the next general election. The party insisted that consultations on its presidential ticket are still ongoing and that it has not yet zoned the slot. Deputy National Spokesman of the NDC, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, described the claims as mere speculation. He said, “The NDC is a party that believes in merging ideas and consultations across boards. I can categorically tell you that we have not zoned the presidential ticket. Consultations are still ongoing since politics is a dynamic game.” He added that “This is another rumour making the rounds that former President Jonathan wants to pitch his tent in our party. There is no concrete move like that in the hierarchy of our party, and such a decision has not been taken.” Abdulsalam however noted that Jonathan remains “eminently qualified to fly the flag of the party on any platform of his choice. But as of today, we have no pact with him.”
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