FORMER PRESIDENT JONATHAN’S 2027 BID: ELIGIBILITY QUESTIONS AND DISMAL RECORD TO BE SCRUTINISED

As the nation sets its sights on the 2027 presidential elections, the Presidency has issued a statement welcoming former President Goodluck Jonathan to the race while highlighting key challenges he is likely to face. Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Information and Strategy, affirmed Jonathan’s constitutional right to contest but warned that the former president would face rigorous scrutiny over his eligibility and his record in office.

Onanuga emphasised that Jonathan’s eligibility is questionable under the constitution for a potential third term, noting that he has already been sworn in twice as president. He stated, “Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land… the jury will determine whether Jonathan satisfies the constitutional requirements to contest and be sworn in for a third term.” Onanuga cautioned that some political figures, including former Minister Jerry Gana, may be pushing Jonathan’s candidacy for personal and ethnic interests but could abandon him midstream as they allegedly did before in 2015.

The Presidency did not hesitate to recall Jonathan’s economic legacy, which it described as a period marked by lack of clear economic agenda, frivolous spending, and mismanagement that severely impacted Nigeria’s economy. Between 2010 and 2015, Jonathan’s administration depleted Nigeria’s foreign reserves and the Excess Crude Account despite high oil revenues, leading to salary arrears across states and a general economic downturn. Onanuga accused the regime of enabling corruption, with security funds diverted to cronies and foreign exchange meant for fuel importation misappropriated, contributing to deep economic challenges.

In contrast, the statement praised the Tinubu administration’s economic reforms since 2023, crediting it with stabilising the naira, removing fuel subsidies, abolishing multiple exchange rates, boosting foreign reserves to over $42 billion, and achieving strong GDP growth of 4.23% in the second quarter of 2025. Inflation has also declined to 20.12%, the lowest in three years, as investor confidence improves. Infrastructure projects such as the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway are ongoing, signaling a turnaround.

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The Presidency concluded that while former President Jonathan’s participation in the 2027 race is welcome, Nigerians will not readily forget the economic hardships of his tenure. The statement served both as an invitation and a caution that the former president’s past leadership record will be a significant factor in voters’ decisions.

This message sheds light on the upcoming electoral contest, framing it as a referendum not just on personalities but on contrasting economic legacies and constitutional interpretations