Goodluck Jonathan in the Air Again

In Nigerian politics, nothing stays buried for long. Not even a presidency. So when banners of Goodluck Jonathan suddenly bloomed at the PDP headquarters in Abuja, whispers began to swirl like harmattan dust: could the man who bowed out in 2015 be plotting a return?

Party insiders say the conversations are real. Senator Abba Moro hinted that emissaries are quietly urging Jonathan to reclaim the party’s flag. Their pitch is simple: his calming presence, his history of concession, his image burnished by nostalgia might steady the PDP’s wobbly ship ahead of 2027.

Jonathan has said nothing. Silence, in this case, is gasoline. Every poster, every photo of his smiling face at Wadata Plaza, fuels speculation. To some, he is the antidote to rancour. To others, he is a tired replay of a familiar script. Which side does time favour?

The PDP is desperate for reinvention. The party admits it miscalculated in 2023 with Atiku Abubakar. Internal bickering drained its energy, defections thinned its ranks, and a younger electorate drifted toward fresher alternatives. Now it looks backwards, as if yesterday’s leader could unlock tomorrow’s votes.

Critics bristle at the idea. They warn that dressing Jonathan up as a consensus saviour may only deepen rifts within the party. Besides, would he risk his softened legacy in a bruising contest, knowing the presidency is an arena that devours even the willing?

Yet his face keeps reappearing, not only in Abuja but across Kano and other northern states, stamped with slogans that echo revival: “The Goodluck Nigeria Needs.” Supporters insist he is the bridge between fractured regions, the familiar name that can soothe uncertain times.

But there is irony here. The more his allies insist he must run, the more Jonathan himself remains unmoved in public, as if savouring the power of absence. Perhaps he knows something the rest of Nigeria forgets: sometimes the loudest campaign is the one never declared.