The Presidency has welcomed former President Goodluck Jonathan’s potential entry into the 2027 presidential race but stressed that the courts will ultimately decide his constitutional eligibility.
In a statement issued by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information & Strategy, the Presidency said Jonathan’s record in office left Nigeria’s economy in a dire state, warning that a return to power would be a setback for the nation.
“Don’t get us wrong: President Jonathan reserves the right to run if he wishes. It is his inalienable right to contest. President Tinubu will wholeheartedly welcome him into the race. But Jonathan will have his date in court to determine whether, having been sworn in twice, he can constitutionally contest and, if successful, be sworn in for a third time,” the statement read.
The Presidency criticised Professor Jerry Gana’s push to draft Jonathan into the race under the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), describing it as “delusionary” and warning Jonathan not to be misled by “sugar-coated cheerleaders” who allegedly abandoned him in 2015.
Citing Jonathan’s six-year tenure, Onanuga argued that his administration oversaw economic decline, depleted reserves, and failed to manage record oil revenues, which left Nigeria in a financial crisis. He contrasted this with Tinubu’s 28 months in office, pointing to reforms such as the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of exchange rates, improved GDP growth, reduced inflation, and stabilisation of the naira.
“The PDP and its allies broke the economy; President Tinubu is fixing it. Nigerians will not easily forget the past,” the statement concluded.
