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Northern Leaders Urge Goodluck Jonathan to Run for 2027 Presidency Amid Discontent With Tinubu Administration
Political leaders from the North, a region in Nigeria which holds a huge chunk of Nigeria’s voting population, are working behind the scenes to convince former President Goodluck Jonathan to join the 2027 presidential race, reliable sources told THISDAY on Sunday night.
Sources with the knowledge of the plan said that recent comments by the Governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed, to the effect that he would not contest the election if Jonathan eventually caves in, said that the governor’s statement went beyond just flying a kite.
The game plan, it was learnt, became even clearer following the recent #EndBadGovernance nationwide demonstrations, which apparently showed serious disgruntlement by the voting population in the region with the Bola Tinubu-led administration.
THISDAY was told that the scheming to persuade the former Nigerian leader to join the race was already in top gear, even though Jonathan is non-committal at the moment.
However, when THISDAY contacted the former President’s confidants on the move by northern leaders, they were hesitant to talk on the matter, but were unanimous that talk about 2027 was premature at this point; “this talk about running or not running is way too early in the scheme of things. The former President is focusing on his international assignments and humanitarian works rather than concern himself with potential run for President in 2027.”
At the weekend, the Bauchi governor, Mohammed, said that he will not contest under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket if the former president decides to run again.
But the source stated that the decision to sway Jonathan to agree to throw his hat into the ring went beyond party lines and affiliations, explaining that if Jonathan decides to participate, the Nigerians will see how party affiliation will not be an issue.
The governor said the former president has more experience and would do a good job if he had a second mandate to manage the country.
He said: “With regards 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 People Democratic Party (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. His leadership recruitment was exemplary. We need leaders like him – young people with energy, foresight, and drive,” Mohammed argued.
Aside from the fact that Jonathan is expected to govern the country for only one term, having done the first a term earlier, before his loss to ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, the North is also considering that picking Jonathan will be a fair deal.
With Tinubu scheduled to end his first stint in Aso Rock by May 2027, the political permutation is that if Jonathan decides to contest, the South will have served out its eight years by 2031, given the unwritten understanding among Nigerian politicians to allow for rotation of the presidency between both regions.
Jonathan served as president from 2010 to 2015 after his then boss, Umar Yar’Adua died, before conceding defeat to Buhari after the 2015 polls.
While the last national protest was peaceful in the South, it was largely violent in the North, with some angry demonstrators going beyond the main reasons for the action to hoist the flag of a foreign country.
