Fresh political intrigue has emerged ahead of the 2027 general elections following claims by a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that former President Goodluck Jonathan has already obtained the party’s presidential nomination form.
The claim was made on Tuesday by Umar Sani, a former presidential aide and PDP stalwart, during an interview on Trust TV.
Sani, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, said Jonathan’s camp was confident that ongoing legal attempts to stop the former president from contesting would fail.
According to him, the issue of Jonathan’s eligibility had already been settled by the courts and could not be reopened except by the Supreme Court.
“We are very confident that the matter will be thrown out because you cannot relitigate something that has already been decided upon,” Sani stated.
He further argued that the pending case before Justice Peter Lifu, expected to come up on May 26, would likely be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction.
The remarks have intensified speculations surrounding Jonathan’s political future as consultations reportedly continue across party and regional lines.
Although the former president has yet to publicly declare interest in the 2027 race, Sani insisted that the procurement of nomination forms was a clear indication of serious intent.
“In politics, what is important is action. If you are interested, there are processes you have to follow, one of which is the procurement of nomination forms. He has done that,” he said.
When pressed on whether Jonathan had indeed secured the PDP form, Sani responded: “Yes, and in fact, he is about to come and submit the forms publicly.”
The PDP chieftain also dismissed suggestions that Jonathan’s name was merely being used by political loyalists seeking relevance, maintaining that many Nigerians still hold sentimental attachment to the former president.
“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was not performing, but now Nigerians have seen the difference clearly,” he added.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015 before losing re-election to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since leaving office, Jonathan has largely stayed away from active partisan politics, focusing instead on diplomatic engagements and peace missions across Africa.
However, the latest revelation is expected to further reshape political calculations within the PDP and across the wider Nigerian political landscape as permutations for the 2027 presidential contest gather momentum.