Goodluck Jonathan to Run for President in 2027, PDP Chieftain Says
Abuja, Nigeria – September 30, 2025
With Nigeria already buzzing two years ahead of the 2027 general elections, the political temperature is rising as parties quietly begin positioning their key contenders.
The gathering steam of electioneering reached a new pitch when a senior figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) announced that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the 2027 presidential race as the PDP’s candidate.
Speaking to supporters over the weekend, PDP chieftain Jerry Gana recalled Jonathan’s famous 2015 statement that “my ambition is not worth the blood of Nigerians,” before contrasting his tenure with the two successive administrations that followed.
“In 2015, former President Goodluck Jonathan said his ambition was not worth the blood of Nigerians. After him, another President ruled for eight years, and now another has ruled for two years. Nigerians have seen the difference, and the difference is very clear. Nigerians are now asking us to bring back our friend, former President Goodluck Jonathan. I can confirm that Goodluck Ebele Jonathan will contest the presidential election in 2027 as PDP candidate, and we should be prepared to vote for him to return as President again,” Gana declared.
As of Monday, Goodluck Jonathan has not issued any public response to Gana’s announcement. The former president, who led Nigeria from 2010 to 2015 and is known for peacefully conceding defeat in the 2015 election, has maintained a low political profile in recent years.
The statement, however, has already drawn reactions from across Nigeria’s political spectrum. The presidency welcomed Jonathan’s right to contest but sharply criticized his past record, while constitutional analysts have pointed to potential legal hurdles under Section 137(3) of the 1999 Constitution.
The PDP has not released an official nomination schedule, but Gana’s remarks underscore the heightened stakes and the early start of political maneuvering. With inflation, insecurity, and calls for constitutional reform dominating national debate, the possibility of Jonathan’s return adds a dramatic twist to Nigeria’s march toward 2027.
