The Presidency has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan is free to contest the 2027 elections but warned that his “disastrous record in office” remains fresh in the minds of Nigerians.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described as “absurd” the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) plan to field Jonathan on a platform it called “discredited,” citing 16 years of mismanagement under the party.
“President Jonathan reserves the right to run if he wishes. It is his inalienable right to contest the presidency again. But Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land…and will also have his encounter with the people as to whether he has anything new to offer after his disastrous six years, for which they voted him out in 2015,” Onanuga said in a statement on Monday titled ‘Former President Jonathan is welcome to the race. Nigerians will remember his dismal record in office.’
Economic and Security Criticisms of Jonathan’s Administration
Onanuga highlighted what he described as fiscal irresponsibility and corruption during Jonathan’s administration, noting that the former president inherited $66 billion in reserves and $20 billion in the Excess Crude Account but left less than $30 billion in reserves and only $2 billion in the ECA by 2015.
He further stated that Jonathan’s government failed to pay federal workers’ salaries in its final months, leaving 28 states owing arrears.
Security funds were also allegedly mismanaged, with claims that funds were distributed to “friends and cronies.”
“In contrast, President Tinubu has taken bold decisions over the last 28 months to reset the economy, removing the ruinous fuel subsidy and abolishing multiple exchange rates, which paved the way for arbitrage to flourish. The President has stabilised the economy in slightly over two years in office,” the statement stated.
Onanuga highlighted that in the second quarter of 2025, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23 percent, inflation eased to 20.12 percent, foreign reserves rose to $42 billion, and the naira stabilized.
He cited major infrastructure projects, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway, as signs of the government’s progress.
Presidency Unbothered by Potential Jonathan Candidacy
While the PDP has suggested that Jonathan could challenge President Bola Tinubu in 2027, the Presidency dismissed this as political fantasy.
Onanuga cautioned Jonathan to beware of “sugar-coated cheerleaders” within the PDP, who, he claimed, abandoned him previously and could do so again.
“President Jonathan and others are welcome to the 2027 race. They broke the economy before, but millions of Nigerians who will not easily forget the recent past will not allow them to return to run it down again,” Onanuga said.