Folarin Kehinde

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has agreed to contest the 2027 presidential election, a close political associate has confirmed.

The revelation was disclosed by a senior member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) familiar with ongoing consultations involving the former leader, Vanguard reports.

According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, Dr. Jonathan has formally accepted calls by influential party stakeholders and national elders urging him to re-enter the race. “The decision has been made. He’s accepted to run. He wants to offer leadership once again to address the poverty, insecurity, and economic hardship currently ravaging the country,” the newspaper quoted the source.

Jonathan, who served as President between 2010 and 2015, is said to have agreed to a single-term presidency if elected. Political observers note that this one-term commitment is being used to persuade northern leaders, many of whom view it as a smooth path for power to rotate back to the North in 2031 without resistance from the South.

“He can only run for one term due to constitutional limits, and that’s why northern politicians are backing the idea. They see it as a transitional move,” the ally explained.

The former president has reportedly commenced consultations both within and outside the PDP. It is understood that last weekend, he met with former military president General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) in Minna, Niger State, where he reportedly briefed the elder statesman on his decision.

In the South-South, Jonathan is also said to be meeting key political stakeholders, including private engagements in Port Harcourt.

Though details of these meetings remain undisclosed, insiders insist that securing support from the region will not pose a challenge.

The PDP leadership is believed to be fully behind the move. Reports suggest that several party chieftains recently visited Jonathan in The Gambia to further persuade him. Speaking to BBC Hausa, the PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed that the party is in active discussions with Jonathan.

“Many Nigerians have now come to recognise the value of his past leadership. People are asking for his return, and we, as a party, are listening,” Abdullahi said.

He added that Jonathan has remained a loyal PDP member and that the party sees his potential return as a credible strategy to challenge the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

Jonathan’s anticipated return, however, is reigniting constitutional debates over his eligibility. Following a 2018 constitutional amendment, Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), a person who has been sworn in twice as president is barred from seeking the office again.

Legal experts remain divided on the matter.

Some argue the amendment disqualifies him, as he completed President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua’s term in 2010 before winning a full term in 2011. Others maintain that the law, signed in 2018, cannot be applied retroactively to Jonathan.

However, it should be noted that a 2022 ruling by a Federal High Court in Yenagoa favoured the former president, stating that the constitutional amendment could not invalidate his right to contest.