2027: Will Jonathan Succumb to PDP’s Pressure?

As the agents of the Peoples Democratic Party mount pressure on former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election on the party’s platform, will the former president trust those that allegedly betrayed him in 2015 and throw his hat in the ring? Ejiofor Alike asks

With the allegations and counter allegations of betrayals that trailed the defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan by the late President Muhammadu Buhari in the 2015 presidential election, Nigerians are anxiously waiting for the former president’s formal response to the invitation by the agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for him to vie for the ticket of the party and run for the presidency in the 2027 general election.

A chieftain of the PDP and Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro last Tuesday confirmed that Jonathan; ex-Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, and the Oyo State Governor, Mr. Seyi Makinde, were being persuaded by top members of the PDP to join the 2027 presidential race on the platform of the PDP.

Deputy National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Mallam Ibrahim Abdullahi, had also stated that the party’s move to woo Jonathan was in response to growing calls from Nigerians who now believe his past administration was not appreciated.

Some high-ranking PDP stakeholders were also said to have recently travelled to The Gambia to meet with Jonathan and persuade him to accept the party’s ticket.

A founding member of the PDP, Prof. Jerry Gana had told ARISE NEWS that Obi may be good, but that the PDP has somebody better.

Many political analysts believe Gana was referring to Jonathan.

“In the northern states, Peter Obi under the PDP will defeat any candidate because our people are very fair-minded and just.

“We are reaching out to Peter Obi. Because I’m leading a search team and there are many brilliant people. Peter may be good, but we have somebody better. So, we are searching,” Gana said.

With the zoning of 2027 to the South by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the PDP last Tuesday, the coast also appears clear for Jonathan to contest the presidential ticket of the party.

PDP’s obvious preference for Jonathan is hinged on the fact that since he is constitutionally constrained to a term of four years, the North will accept him.

While Jonathan has yet to officially confirm any ambition to contest, media reports claimed that the Otuoke-born politician had consented to run and had already met behind the scenes with some top leaders within and outside the PDP to seek their support.

One of the reports claimed that Jonathan met with former Nigerian military president, General Ibrahim Babangida (rtd.) last week in his Hilltop Mansion in Minna, Niger State, and briefed him on his desire to run for one term in 2027.

The current attempt to lure Jonathan into the presidential race is not the first attempt since he lost power to the All Progressives Congress (APC).

In 2023, a failed attempt was made to draft him into the race on the platform of the APC.

However, with the allegations and counter allegations of betrayals that trailed Jonathan’s defeat by Buhari in 2015, many doubt the authenticity of claims that he had succumbed to the PDP’s pressure.

While Jonathan felt betrayed by the members of the PDP in the 2015 presidential election, others accused him of not keeping to an unwritten agreement said to have been made in 2011 to do only one term.

He had denied entering such a pact and challenged his accusers to provide evidence.

In the book, ‘Against the Run of Play’, written by the Chairman of THISDAY’s Editorial Board, Mr. Segun Adeniyi, the former president alleged that he was betrayed by the party leaders in the north, including the then National Chairman, Adamu Muazu.

“I felt really betrayed by the result from some northern states. Perhaps for ethnic purposes, even security agents colluded with the opposition to come up with spurious results against me,” Jonathan said.

“What happened was very sad not for me as a person, but for our democracy. Take, for instance, the PDP national chairman, Alhaji Adamu Mu’azu. I believe he joined in the conspiracy against me. For reasons best known to him, he helped to sabotage the election in favour of the opposition.”

However, in a post on his Facebook page in April 2017, Muazu denied the allegation.

Jonathan, after the 2015 general election, shunned the activities of the PDP.

Speaking in July 2022 when he hosted members of Delta Central APC Leaders of Thought on a solidarity visit to his Abuja residence, the late Leader of Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF), Chief Edwin Clark, explained that Jonathan no longer associated with the PDP because of the betrayal and ill-treatment he received when he sought re-election in 2015.

Clark alleged that the PDP leaders from the north, including the governors and then national chairman, Mu’azu, worked against Jonathan, and also raised funds for Buhari, against Jonathan, their own presidential candidate.

However, a former vice chairman of the ACF, Senator Joseph Waku, had countered Jonathan and his supporters, insisting that he did not do his research before trusting those he later accused of betraying him, adding that “authentic northern leaders” made it clear from the beginning that they were not going to vote for him.

 However, despite shunning the activities of the PDP after losing the 2015 presidential election, Jonathan had in April 2017 argued that the loss of the presidential election in 2015 did not in any way diminish the grassroots popularity and size of the main opposition party.

Jonathan made the remarks while receiving a delegation of the PDP Strategy Review and Inter party committee led by Professor Jerry Gana, who visited him to give him their report.

“PDP is still the biggest and the strongest party, irrespective of what happened in the 2015 general election. Yes, we lost the presidential election but that doesn’t diminish us,” he said.

The former president expressed optimism that the PDP would bounce back to reckoning by 2019, adding that the party still had the most penetrating structures in every part of the country.

Unfortunately, PDP did not bounce back in the 2019 general election as he predicted.

Rather than bounce back, PDP’s political fortunes were further depleted by internal crises fueled by those masquerading as party leaders and members but working for the ruling APC.

Many believe that the high level of insecurity and economic hardship inflicted on Nigerians by the APC-led administrations since Jonathan lost power in 2015 has brightened his chances of return to power on the platform of the PDP.

But a former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, had advised him against contesting, warning that the PDP, which he rode to victory with in 2011, is now fragmented and weakened.

Will Jonathan trust those that betrayed him and accept the party’s ticket? Can the PDP use Jonathan to regain power in 2027?

These are some of the questions agitating the minds of anxious Nigerians.