According to an interview on Channels Television, former presidential hopeful Mathias Tsado has explained why the name of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan continues to resurface during every election season, even though he has been out of power for nearly a decade.
Tsado noted that the renewed clamour for Jonathan’s return is not confined to his southern base but has also gained traction in the north. He recalled a recent press briefing where a coalition from the northeast publicly urged Jonathan to rejoin the race for the presidency. “What this shows,” he argued, “is that some Nigerians are less concerned about the geopolitical rotation of power and more focused on finding leadership that once delivered relative stability.”
Reflecting on Jonathan’s tenure, Tsado admitted that many underestimated his achievements while he was in office. However, the current economic climate has triggered comparisons that now cast Jonathan in a more favourable light. “The truth is that most of us failed to appreciate his record at the time. But today, with the harsh realities Nigerians face, people are beginning to reconsider,” he said. “Since the APC assumed office, the economy has steadily declined.”
Tsado emphasized Jonathan’s lasting relevance, pointing out that his name consistently emerges in public discourse despite his decade-long absence from frontline politics. “It shows there is a sense of loss among the people. They believe something vital slipped away,” he observed. “And why wouldn’t they miss something? Fuel was 87 naira; the dollar was 150 to 190. A bag of rice was 10,000,” he stated.
To strengthen his point, the former aspirant highlighted economic statistics from Jonathan’s administration: fuel at ₦87 per litre, the naira trading between ₦150 and ₦190 to the dollar, and a bag of rice at ₦10,000. In his view, these benchmarks explain why Nigerians keep looking back at Jonathan’s era with nostalgia.
