Reports have emerged suggesting that political leaders from the northern region of Nigeria, which holds a significant portion of the country’s voting population, are quietly working to persuade former President Goodluck Jonathan to enter the presidential race in 2027.
Reliable sources revealed that officials are making moves behind the scenes to convince Jonathan to consider running for the presidency. These efforts have gained momentum, especially in light of recent comments made by the Governor of Bauchi state, Bala Mohammed, hinting at a possible withdrawal from the race if Jonathan decides to run.
The plan to rally support for Jonathan’s candidacy appears to have intensified following the widespread #EndBadGovernance protests, which highlighted widespread dissatisfaction with the current administration led by Bola Tinubu.
Despite this, Jonathan remains non-committal at this stage, and his close associates refrained from commenting on the matter when approached. THISDAY reported.
They emphasized that discussions about the 2027 election are premature at this point; “this talk about running or not running is way too early in the scheme of things. The former President is focusing on his international assignments and humanitarian works rather than concern himself with potential run for President in 2027.”
The Bauchi governor, Bala Mohammed said at the weekend that he would not contest under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential ticket if the former president decides to run again.
However, a reliable source told THISDAY that the decision to convince Jonathan to run for the Presidency in 2027 went beyond party lines and affiliations, explaining that if Jonathan decides to run, Nigerians will see how party affiliation will not be an issue.
The former Minister of the Federal Capital Territory under Jonathan, who spoke after an event organised by a Non-governmental Organisation (NGO), Save Africa Initiative (SAI), described Goodluck Jonathan as a vastly experienced individual who would manage the country’s affairs properly if given the mandate for a second time.
“With regards to your call for me to present myself, I am still contemplating my chances as the leader of the opposition. I know there are good leaders within the People Democratic Party (PDP), especially my boss Goodluck Jonathan.
“I have always said that as long as Jonathan is around, I will not present myself for leadership of this country, unless he decides not to run. If we can persuade him to come forward, I will support him with my blood. Out of modesty, he is still not ready. I hope you will meet him and encourage him to run.
“He will do a better job because he has the experience. We know the prices of things; we know the level of inflation. His leadership recruitment was exemplary. We need leaders like him – young people with energy, foresight, and drive,” the Governor Stated.
The reliable source opined that, during Jonathan’s regime, his government was largely inclusive, and addressed issues like the Almajiri system and creating initiatives for unemployed youths.
The source also added that the northern elites are not happy with the current administration because of what he described as ‘the loss of control of the levers of power in the country and the feeling of palpable helplessness’.
He further stated that the region comfortable with Jonathan; “they like and trust him because they benefitted from his government.” He maintained that if the Almajiri schools policy had continued, the number of out-of-school children would have reduced by now. “They see Jonathan as a safe bet,” he added.
He stressed: “And because of the aftermath of the last national protest, they believe that the All Progressives Congress (APC) has lost ground across the North. So, that’s the problem.”
Buttressing this recently, the Dean of Borno Elders Forum, Prof Khalifa Dikwa, said members of the elite in the northern region of the country were unhappy with Tinubu because of his “misfit and weak appointees” as well as his “anti-people policies”.
The political analyst, who spoke on national television, said the northern elite were “not happy because each of these policies affect the north entirely”.
He said: “Most of the appointees are either misfits or weak or to the wrong places,” adding that the appointments by the Tinubu administration were “lopsided”.
Dikwa added that even “the southern elite should be annoyed because Nigeria is more than Lagos”, describing it as “provocative”.
Recall that some northern elders frowned at the decision of the federal government to relocate some departments of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the headquarters of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) from Abuja to Lagos. Calling it an attempt by the Tinubu-led administration to move the seat of power to Lagos.
The Vice President refuted claims that President Tinubu was against the north when he spoke in Kano after he received a federal government’s delegation which visited to condole with him on the death of his mother-in-law.
He argued that the fact that Tinubu appointed northerners as the Minister of Defence; the Chief of Defence Staff and the Chairman of the Police Service Commission (PSC) put a lie to the claim that the president was biased against the North.
According to Shettima, “At an appropriate time we will lay out facts that the president is not against the North as being championed by some disgruntled elements who always want to cause disaffection between government and the citizens,”.
