An associate of former president, Goodluck Jonathan, has spoken on speculations making the rounds that several groups were pushing for Jonathan’s candidacy.
Naijaonpoint reports that the associate who spoke with Sahara Reporters revealed that no firm decision had been taken.
The associate said, “What’s happening is that various groups are pushing for him, but it’s unclear whether anything will happen tomorrow or not.”
However, one of the sources who spoke with Sahara Reporters claimed that Jonathan could pick up the form at the start of the week.
The source said, “Goodluck Jonathan will pick up the PDP nomination form on Monday.”
The speculation comes as Jonathan has asked the Federal High Court in Abuja to dismiss a suit seeking to stop him from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
Jonathan, through his lawyer, Chris Uche, SAN, challenged the competence of the suit filed by Abuja-based lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi.
The former president’s legal team informed the court that it had filed a conditional appearance, a notice of preliminary objection, a counter-affidavit, and a written address on May 5, 2026, seeking the case to be struck out.
According to Uche, Jonathan’s camp only became aware of the suit through media reports and had to respond urgently because of the sensitive nature of the matter, which borders on his eligibility to contest the next presidential election.
The senior advocate described the suit as unnecessary and legally defective, arguing that the issue had already been decided by the courts in previous cases up to the Court of Appeal.
Court Adjourns Till May 11
Earlier, counsel to the plaintiff, Ndubuisi Ukpai, told the court that the case was originally scheduled for mention but that he had just been served with Jonathan’s processes in court and needed time to respond.
After hearing both parties, Justice Peter Lifu adjourned the matter till May 11 for the hearing of Jonathan’s objection and the substantive suit.
The judge also ordered that hearing notices be served on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), who are listed as the second and third defendants, but were absent from court.
In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025, Jideobi is seeking a perpetual injunction restraining Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party for the purpose of contesting the 2027 presidential election.
He also asked the court to stop INEC from accepting or publishing Jonathan’s name as a duly nominated presidential candidate.
The legal battle comes amid increasing speculation over Jonathan’s possible return to presidential politics.
‘Presidential Race Not Computer Game’
Jonathan had recently hinted at a possible comeback while addressing young Nigerians who urged him to contest in 2027.
Responding to the calls, the former president said the presidential race was a serious undertaking and not something to be approached lightly.
He said, “The presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely. But the most important thing is that in Nigeria, the young people will have hope.”
Jonathan also urged Nigerian youths to remain patriotic and committed to the unity and progress of the country.
He said, “I urge you to continue to be patriotic to the country. It’s only patriotic citizens who build their nations. Unpatriotic citizens will destroy their nation, take the money to anywhere to enjoy their life.
“So you must be patriotic. And things are very, very clear. The key thing we need in this country is peace.”
The former president also urged youths to participate actively in elections and obtain their voter cards.
Jonathan said, “And as youths, we will continue to advocate for that. It’s very dear to us, peaceful elections. And indeed you, as young people, must continue to be fully involved in the electoral processes, especially your right to vote.
“I’ve observed elections in about 14 or more African countries. Some have been there two times. And even in Southeast Asia, Nigeria has the lowest turnout of elections in every election cycle. We have the highest voter apathy.
“And it shows us that people are not even interested in the elections. We have the worst, the least. I’ve never been to a country that has the low numbers we have, in terms of percentage of voters.”