Coalition Pleads with Ex-President Jonathan to Contest 2027 Presidential Election

A coalition representing the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has formally requested former President Goodluck Jonathan to participate in the 2027 presidential election.

The group, operating under the banner of the Coalition for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan and led by National President Tom Ohikere, presented their appeal during a rally held at the former president's office in Abuja on Wednesday.

According to Mr. Ohikere, this appeal follows an extensive six-month nationwide consultation period.

"The message is short, direct and simple. Sir, Nigerians have asked us to plead with you to come to the rescue of our nation by declaring interest to contest for the presidency in 2027," he stated.

Mr. Ohikere elaborated that their plea was more than just a political suggestion, asserting it was a mandate from millions of Nigerians ready and determined to support Mr. Jonathan's potential return to power.

He characterized the former president as a 'bridge-builder capable of healing ethnic and regional divisions,' and urged him to announce his intentions early to facilitate nationwide mobilization efforts.

Mr. Ohikere pledged to spearhead a grassroots campaign across all 36 states to secure a decisive victory should Mr. Jonathan, who served as president from 2010 to 2015, accept their call.

When questioned by journalists about Mr. Jonathan's suitability to tackle Nigeria's current challenges, Mr. Ohikere pointed to the former president's demonstrated leadership qualities, virtues, past achievements, and overall pedigree.

"He has ruled this country for four good years, and his achievements are still there for us to see. We know the exchange rate of the Naira then. We know the price of a bag of rice. We know how much the crude oil was exchanged for dollars. We know how much all these things are going for in the market now," he remarked.

Regarding the political platform for a potential bid, Mr. Ohikere indicated that the former president would make such an announcement himself in due course.

Jibril Mustapha, the coalition's National Secretary, shared that the current conditions in the country, including widespread hunger and insecurity, particularly in the northern regions, were significant motivators for the group's appeal to Mr. Jonathan.

"We know what is happening in our area. People are not in their homes. We cannot sleep with our eyes closed. If we can have somebody like him, who has the people, the country in mind, we definitely know that this country will be in a good shape," he commented.

Mr. Mustapha expressed strong confidence that only Mr. Jonathan possessed the capacity to effectively manage Nigeria and address its complex issues.

Adding his voice, Amodu Abacha, one of the coalition leaders, described Mr. Jonathan as an individual with integrity and a committed democrat. He referenced the former president's gracious concession to his opponent, Muhammadu Buhari, even before the final election results were declared by INEC in 2015 as evidence of these qualities.

"So he's a man that, with a milk of human kindness and with the kind of person he is, can unify the country. He will bring the people together. So we are here as a people representing the entirety of Nigeria, that he should come back. He’s the right person because he has been there before. And it is a trend around the globe. We have the President of America, who was there before, and he’s now back. We have that of Ghana. We have numerous of them across the globe. So it is actually a wind of change across the continents of the world. So we are saying that he’s a man Nigeria will trust. He’s a man that can pilot the affairs of this country. So that is just the simple reason we have come to ask him to throw the hat in the ring and let the foot soldiers do the work," Mr. Abacha concluded.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) noted that Mr. Jonathan was not present at his office to receive the delegation, and as of the time of this report, the former president had not issued a formal statement regarding the coalition's request.