The Presidency has poured cold water on speculations of a 2027 political comeback by former President Goodluck Jonathan, warning Nigerians not to be deceived by what it described as his “dismal record in office.”
In a fiery statement signed by Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the Presidency said Jonathan is free to contest but would have to face both constitutional hurdles and the judgment of the people who, in 2015, “voted him out for his disastrous six years.”
“Jonathan may return if he wishes. It is his right,” Onanuga declared. “But Nigerians have not forgotten how his government squandered oil wealth, abandoned salaries, and ran the economy aground.”
The rebuttal followed comments by PDP stalwart Professor Jerry Gana, who floated Jonathan as a potential challenger to President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 elections. But the Presidency dismissed the suggestion as “political fantasy,” insisting Jonathan’s loyalists are only flattering him with false hope.
Onanuga accused the PDP of leaving behind “economic ruins” after 16 years in power, saying Jonathan’s administration was “fiscally irresponsible, corrupt, and wasteful.” He contrasted this with Tinubu’s two years in office, citing bold reforms such as fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and massive infrastructure projects.
“With inflation down to 20.12% and foreign reserves at $42bn, Nigeria has turned the corner,” the statement read. “Investor confidence is restored, and Nigerians are already reaping the gains of Tinubu’s reforms.”
The message was unmistakable: Jonathan may eye a return, but the APC is determined to frame him as a relic of failure rather than a viable alternative.