A fresh debate has emerged within Nigeria’s political space over whether former President Goodluck Jonathan should make a return to active politics and contest the 2027 general elections.
Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, and ex-presidential aspirant under the African Democratic Party (ADP), Mathias Tsado, openly expressed opposing views on the matter yesterday.
While Sani cautioned Jonathan against yielding to political pressures to contest again, warning that such a decision could erode the honour and global respect he currently enjoys, Tsado urged Jonathan’s close associates to persuade him to enter the race, describing him as the kind of leader Nigeria needs at this critical moment.
In an interview with the BBC, Sani emphasized that internal divisions within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), coupled with the defection of some governors and lawmakers to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), make it unwise for Jonathan to return to partisan politics.
“Even in previous election cycles like 2019 and 2023, similar calls were made for Jonathan to return, but he wisely declined after foreseeing the risks it could pose to his image and legacy,” the former lawmaker said.
Sani further stressed that Jonathan’s current role as a respected African statesman would be better preserved if he remained above the fray of domestic politics.
“The PDP of today is not the same party that brought him to power. The crisis within it shows clearly that it is no longer the PDP he once knew,” he added.
However, in a counter-view during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily, Tsado passionately appealed for Jonathan’s return.
“Yes, he has not declared that he wants to run for election, but for somebody like me, I am praying for a day that will come, when President Goodluck Jonathan will declare and say, ‘I want to run,’” Tsado said.
“Those who have his contacts, those who have access to him, should speak to him. They should point out the other rumours around in 2023 that he was going to run and all that. There were rumours, but this time around, they should tell him, ‘Please come around, sir, because Nigerian people today need you’.”
Tsado highlighted Jonathan’s decision to concede defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 as evidence of his statesmanship and lack of desperation for power.
“In fact, he demonstrated he’s not somebody who is desperate to be in government. You remember when he said his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, and someone said recently that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the election in 2015 but gained the people. At the moment, I think that is what is working for him,” he noted.
He further argued that Jonathan now occupies an enviable position that many politicians aspire to attain.
“You see, the position that President Goodluck, former President Goodluck Jonathan, finds himself today is a position that most politicians are yearning for,” Tsado added.
