2027 Elections: Presidency Warns Jonathan, Says Court Will Decide His Eligibility Amid PDP Comeback Bid
Story: written by Daniel September 30,2025
The Presidency has hit back at former President Goodluck Jonathan over growing speculation that he may contest the 2027 presidential election on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This reaction followed a recent statement by Prof. Jerry Gana, a PDP chieftain and elder statesman, who claimed Jonathan was being drafted into the 2027 race to reclaim power from President Bola Tinubu.
Responding, Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Tinubu on Information and Strategy, said Jonathan’s fate rests with the courts, which must determine whether a former president who was sworn in twice is constitutionally eligible to run for office again.
According to the Presidency, Jonathan’s administration left behind “a legacy of economic collapse, frivolous spending, and corruption,” warning that Nigerians have not forgotten the hardships that led to his electoral defeat in 2015.
“Jonathan will have his date in court. The judiciary will decide if he meets the constitutional requirements to contest again. Beyond that, Nigerians will also judge whether he has anything new to offer after his disastrous six years in power,” Onanuga said.
The Presidency recalled that Jonathan inherited $66 billion in reserves in 2010 but left office in 2015 with less than $30 billion in reserves and only $2 billion in the Excess Crude Account despite record-high oil revenues. It also accused his administration of reckless spending, mismanagement of fuel subsidies, and diversion of security funds.
In contrast, the Tinubu administration claims credit for bold reforms that have “reset the economy,” including the removal of fuel subsidies, unification of exchange rates, and infrastructure expansion such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway.
Official data, according to the Presidency, shows that GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, inflation dropped to 20.12% in August 2025, and foreign reserves now stand at $42.03 billion, boosting investor confidence.
The statement warned Jonathan against being lured into the race by “self-serving PDP cheerleaders,” noting that his rumored comeback bid was part of a broader opposition strategy to destabilize the government.
“Jonathan and his allies broke the economy before; President Tinubu is fixing it. Nigerians will not hand the country back to the same hands that mismanaged it,” the Presidency declared.
The matter of Jonathan’s eligibility is expected to become a central legal and political debate as the nation edges closer to the 2027 general elections.
