A close associate of former President Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, has reportedly revealed to The Vanguard correspondent during an interview that the Bayelsa-born politician would be one of the major contenders against incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
According to The Vanguard, the associate, who is also a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), was said to have disclosed that plans to draft Jonathan as the PDP’s presidential candidate had advanced significantly and that the former president had accepted the proposal.
Speaking on the issue the previous day, former Deputy National Chairman of the PDP, Chief Olabode George, stated that former President Jonathan was highly qualified to contest for office under the PDP.
He told Vanguard that Jonathan had a track record that could be appealing to Nigerians.
He said, “He’s very qualified because he did not leave the party. The more the merrier. All those who say they want to contest should wait till 2035. He is the easiest to sell because he has a track record, especially the economic indices Nigeria witnessed during his tenure.”
When asked whether being sworn in twice would disqualify Jonathan from contesting again, George explained that it would not, as Jonathan was sworn in following the death of Umaru Yar’Adua in order to complete his tenure, which was done under the Doctrine of Necessity. He noted that Jonathan had not contested any election at that point but was simply sworn in to finish Yar’Adua’s term.
