“Jonathan’s Associates Should Persuade Him to Run in 2027” — Ex-Presidential Aspirant

Former presidential aspirant Mathias Tsado has urged close allies of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to convince him to contest the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former leader has the experience and character needed to steer Nigeria forward.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Tuesday, Tsado — who once ran under the Action Democratic Party (ADP) — expressed hope that Jonathan would eventually declare his ambition.

“Yes, he has not declared interest, but for someone like me, I am praying for a day when President Goodluck Jonathan will come out and say, ‘I want to run,’” Tsado said. “Those who have access to him should talk to him. In 2023 there were rumours about his return, but this time, Nigerians truly need him.”

Jonathan, who took office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, went on to win the 2011 election but lost to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 — the first time an incumbent president was defeated since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.

Tsado commended Jonathan for conceding defeat in that election, describing it as proof that he was not power-hungry.

“He showed he was not desperate for power,” he said. “He once declared that his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian. Though he lost the election, he gained the people — and that is what is working for him today.”

The former ADP candidate argued that Jonathan now holds a rare status in Nigerian politics.

“The position Jonathan finds himself in today is one that most politicians are yearning for,” Tsado added.