The Presidency has officially reacted to former President Goodluck Jonathan’s reported decision to contest the 2027 presidential election.
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that the presidency on Monday night welcomed his return to the political arena but questioned both his eligibility and his record in office.
There were renewed speculations over Jonathan’s political comeback over the weekend after former Minister of Information and National Orientation, Professor Jerry Gana, publicly confirmed that the former president would run on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Speaking with journalists shortly after the PDP congress in Minna, Niger State, Gana said Jonathan’s leadership was being demanded by Nigerians who had “seen the difference” under subsequent administrations.
“In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians. After him, another President ruled for eight years, and now another has ruled for two years,” Gana stated. “Nigerians have seen the difference, and the difference is very clear. Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Goodluck Jonathan. I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate, and we should be prepared to vote for him to return as President again.”
Reacting to the development on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said the Presidency welcomed Jonathan to the race but noted that the courts would ultimately determine whether a former president who had been sworn in twice could seek a third term in office.
“We welcome Jonathan to the 2027 race, but the court will decide if someone who was sworn in twice as president satisfies the constitutional requirements and is eligible to contest the presidency again,” Onanuga stated.
The Presidency’s statement also criticised Jonathan’s administration, accusing him of leaving the economy in ruins and warning Nigerians not to forget the state of the nation under his leadership.
“The former president’s record led to the downfall of the economy, leaving the country in a challenging situation,” the statement read. “The PDP, after 16 years of bad governance, bequeathed a legacy of economic ruins. Professor Jerry Gana may delude himself that Jonathan can defeat President Tinubu, but Nigerians know better.”
Onanuga cautioned Jonathan to be wary of “sugar-coated cheerleaders” within the PDP who, he claimed, would abandon him midstream as they did in 2015.
While acknowledging Jonathan’s constitutional right to run, the Presidency reiterated that his eligibility remained a legal question and that he would also have to convince Nigerians he had anything new to offer “after his disastrous six years” in power.
The statement recalled that Jonathan inherited $66 billion in reserves in 2010 but left office in 2015 with less than $30 billion in reserves and a depleted Excess Crude Account of $2 billion — despite record oil revenue.
“It is on record that between 2010 and 2013, crude oil sold for an average of $100 per barrel. Yet, by December 2014, the Jonathan-led government could no longer pay federal civil servants. At least 28 states owed workers huge salary arrears,” it stated.
The Presidency further accused Jonathan’s administration of mismanaging foreign exchange allocations and diverting security funds.
In contrast, the statement highlighted President Tinubu’s reforms, including the removal of fuel subsidies and the unification of exchange rates, which it said had stabilised the economy.
“GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, the highest in four years. Inflation dropped to 20.12% in August 2025, and foreign reserves now stand at $42.03 billion. Investor confidence has been restored,” Onanuga noted.
According to the Presidency, Tinubu’s administration has turned the economy around, embarked on major infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, and improved security.
“President Jonathan and others are welcome to the 2027 race. They broke the economy before, but millions of Nigerians who remember the recent past will not allow them to return and run it down again,” the statement said.