2027: Jonathan Agrees To Return With One-Term Offer for PDP

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly agreed to run in the 2027 presidential election, according to a senior member of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) with knowledge of ongoing consultations.

Vanguard reports that Jonathan has accepted calls from influential party elders and stakeholders urging him to rejoin the race in a bid to tackle poverty, insecurity, and economic instability in the country.

“The decision has been made. He’s accepted to run. He wants to offer leadership once again to address the poverty, insecurity, and economic hardship currently ravaging the country,” the source said.

Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, is said to have agreed to serve only one term if elected—an offer reportedly designed to appeal to northern leaders who see it as a transitional path for power to return to the North by 2031.

“He can only run for one term due to constitutional limits, and that’s why northern politicians are backing the idea. They see it as a transitional move,” the ally explained.

The former president has already begun high-level consultations. Last weekend, he reportedly met with former military ruler General Ibrahim Babangida (retd.) in Minna, Niger State, to inform him of his decision. He is also said to be engaging with political figures in Port Harcourt and across the South-South.

Sources say the PDP leadership is backing his return, with some chieftains even visiting him in The Gambia to offer further support. Speaking to BBC Hausa, PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, confirmed the party is in active talks with Jonathan.

“Many Nigerians have now come to recognise the value of his past leadership. People are asking for his return, and we, as a party, are listening,” Abdullahi said.

He also stressed that Jonathan has remained loyal to the PDP and is viewed as a strong contender capable of challenging the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and President Bola Tinubu in 2027.

However, Jonathan’s possible return has reignited constitutional debates about his eligibility. Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution, amended in 2018, bars anyone who has been sworn in as president twice from seeking the office again.

Legal opinions remain divided. Some argue the amendment disqualifies Jonathan—since he completed the term of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010 and then won his own term in 2011. Others insist the amendment cannot apply retroactively.

A 2022 Federal High Court ruling in Yenagoa backed Jonathan’s eligibility, stating that the constitutional change does not affect his right to contest.

As discussions continue, Jonathan’s potential return is already reshaping the political landscape ahead of 2027.