Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been told to resist mounting pressure to join the 2027 presidential race, amid renewed calls for his return to frontline politics.
Dan Nwanyanwu, National Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), issued the caution on Friday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Nwanyanwu warned that those encouraging Jonathan to run were the same political actors who frustrated his administration nearly a decade ago.
“I have not spoken with President Jonathan. I intend to see him very soon, but I think he should tarry a while. I am with Madam Patience because the same people calling him were the same people who betrayed him, an honest man, a man who had good policies for Nigeria. They betrayed him, so they want to use him now to clean their mess,” he said.
Jonathan, who led Nigeria between 2011 and 2015, recently headed the West African Elders Forum Election Observation Mission and was in an unnamed West African country last weekend monitoring its presidential and legislative polls before the military announced a takeover.
His profile as a respected statesman has fuelled speculation that he may mount a political comeback.
Some senior figures within the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) argue that his experience positions him as a unifying candidate for 2027.
Jonathan has not publicly declared any ambition and has repeatedly stated that he is focused on international mediation, peace-building and election observation across the continent.
The Former Leader ascended to the presidency in 2010 following the death of Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, whom he served as vice president.
He went on to win election in 2011 but was defeated in 2015 by Muhammadu Buhari, who died earlier this year.
As the electoral cycle draws nearer, the debate over Jonathan’s future role in national politics is expected to intensify, though his camp maintains that he is yet to be swayed by the calls for his return.
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