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A faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has announced former President Goodluck Jonathan as its sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general election.
The announcement was made on Tuesday in Abuja during the party’s presidential screening exercise by Babangida Aliyu, a member of the screening committee and former governor of Niger State.
According to Aliyu, Jonathan was exempted from appearing before the committee because his previous political experience already speaks for itself.
“The party had already given our presidential aspirant the waiver. Like I said in the beginning, he was deputy governor, became governor, became vice president, became president, so we didn’t see anything that needed screening, and therefore the party had given him a waiver,” Aliyu said.
“In other words, he had been declared and cleared as the candidate of the PDP for the presidential election, and that is President Jonathan.”
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015 under the PDP. Before then, he was deputy governor of Bayelsa State and later became governor following the impeachment of former Governor Diepreye Alamieyeseigha. In 2007, he emerged as vice president alongside the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.
He later assumed office as acting president in 2010 after Yar’Adua’s prolonged illness and was sworn in as substantive president following his death in May of the same year. Jonathan subsequently won the 2011 presidential election.
His administration, however, ended in 2015 after he lost his re-election bid to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC). The election marked the first time a sitting Nigerian president lost a re-election attempt.
Jonathan earned widespread praise after conceding defeat and peacefully transferring power to the opposition, a move many observers described as a defining moment for Nigeria’s democracy.
Since leaving office, the former president has largely stayed away from partisan politics, focusing instead on international diplomacy, election observation missions, and peace mediation efforts across Africa. Even so, political supporters and interest groups have repeatedly called on him to return to active politics, particularly ahead of the 2023 elections and now the 2027 race.
Supporters of a possible Jonathan comeback argue that he remains one of the few Nigerian politicians with broad national appeal and strong international credibility. Others, however, believe returning to frontline politics could affect the elder statesman image he has cultivated since leaving office.
The latest development has also renewed attention on Kabiru Turaki, the interim national chairman of the Makinde-backed PDP faction, who served as a minister during Jonathan’s administration and is widely seen as one of his loyal allies.
Jonathan has yet to publicly react to the announcement or formally declare interest in the presidency. However, political observers say his recent consultations and public engagements may indicate efforts to gauge support across the country before making any final political decision.
