2027: Jonathan’s Associates Should Persuade Him to Run — Ex-Presidential Aspirant
A former presidential aspirant, Mathias Tsado, has called on close associates of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to persuade him to contest in the 2027 presidential election, arguing that the former Bayelsa governor possesses the leadership qualities required to reposition Nigeria.
Tsado, a former flag bearer of the Action Democratic Party (ADP), urged Jonathan’s allies to encourage him to enter the race, stating that his return could bring much-needed stability to the country.
“Yes, he has not declared that he wants to run for election, but for somebody like me, I am praying for a day that will come when President Goodluck Jonathan will declare and say, ‘I want to run’,” Tsado said.
“Those who have his contacts, those who have access to him, should speak to him. They should point out the other rumors around in 2023 that he was going to run and all that. There were rumors, but this time around, [they should tell him], ‘Please come around, sir, because Nigerian people today need you’.”
He reiterated his call by emphasizing the need for Jonathan’s leadership at this crucial time:
“2027: Goodluck Jonathan’s associates should tell him, ‘Please, come and run, sir. The Nigerian people need you’.”
Goodluck Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari. It was the first time an incumbent president was defeated in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999.
He first assumed office in May 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, and was subsequently elected in 2011 for a full term.
Tsado commended Jonathan for conceding defeat in 2015, describing the move as a sign of true statesmanship and a lack of desperation for power.
“In fact, he demonstrated he’s not somebody who is desperate to be in government.
You remember when he said his ambition is not worth the blood of any Nigerian, and someone said recently that President Goodluck Jonathan lost the election in 2015 but gained the people. And at the moment, I think that is what is working for him,” he said.
He noted that Jonathan currently occupies a revered position in the country’s political landscape—one that many active politicians only aspire to.
“You see, the position that President Goodluck, former President Goodluck Jonathan, finds himself today is a position that most politicians are yearning for,” Tsado added.