Goodluck Jonathan 2027: ADC whispers grow as ex-president tests the waters
By: Abudu Olalekan
It’s back. The Jonathan question. Will he run or won’t he. In quiet rooms and noisy halls, one name keeps circling the 2027 conversation. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. The ground is, loudly.
Multiple members of the African Democratic Congress, including folks on its National Working Committee, told Reportersroom they’ve been in touch with Jonathan’s camp. Careful calls. Careful promises. They asked not to be named because, well, this isn’t public yet. Not officially.
The chatter is simple: if he returns, he may do it on the ADC platform as the coalition circles the wagons and widens consultations with key players countrywide. That’s the pitch. And yes, there’s talk he could take on President Bola Tinubu in 2027. Bold? Maybe. Unlikely? Don’t say that out loud in the rooms where strategy is brewed.
Now, he hasn’t declared. Not a formal word. PDP chieftains still woo him to stay close, maybe even fly their flag. Others say, don’t. Sit this one out. Nigerians are split too, especially over that 2018 amendment about not running again if you’ve been sworn in twice. Lawyers argue. Voters shrug. The debate won’t stop.
What has changed is his pace. He’s been seen more. Shaking hands, showing up, smiling that tight smile. On September 12, he met Labour Party’s 2023 candidate, Peter Obi, in Abuja. Two weeks later, on September 25, he sat with the ADC coalition team, including its National Chairman, Senator David Mark. Same city. Different room. Same questions.
Inside ADC, the mood is almost giddy. One senior figure described Jonathan as “a rare asset” to the movement and said contact has been ongoing for months. ADC, in their telling, are the credible alternative, the tent big enough for technocrats, old hands, and restless youths. Are they selling it hard? Absolutely. And they insist Jonathan fits.
But there’s a catch. There’s always a catch. Another insider hinted Jonathan would only jump if the ticket is guaranteed, unopposed by heavyweights like Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi in a consensus deal. That’s a big ask. It’s politics, though. Anything can still move. The same source accused the APC of gutting institutions and roughing up the economy and security. The subtext was clear: if ADC grants him the ticket, he may run. If not, maybe not. Clear enough.
ADC’s youth leader, Balarabe Rufai, painted the party as the only honest alternative left standing. PDP? Factions everywhere. Labour? Also struggling. Trust is the currency, he said, and they’ve got some to spend. Meeting Jonathan, to him, wasn’t a surprise; it was inevitable. They talked future. They talked fixes. Or so he tells it.
Mani Ibrahim, ADC’s national treasurer and a coalition point man, was more methodical. He told Reportersroom the party has a roadmap it’s already following: more stakeholder meetings, a long runway into 2027, building momentum off public dissatisfaction with the current administration. He listed the pain points—poverty, hunger, insecurity—like bullet holes. Then the plan: deepen structures in states, LGAs, wards, polling units; court the youth vote; keep the tempo up. If ADC keeps the throttle on, he believes, things fall in place. That was his bet.
Of course, the ruling party is grinning. The APC’s publicity director, Bala Ibrahim, waved off the whole thing, saying Jonathan would lose regardless of the jersey he wears. They beat him once, when the PDP was sure of 60 years in power, he reminded us. Why wouldn’t they beat him now, and with ADC, a party he says isn’t organized enough. His words, not ours.
We tried to reach ADC publicity chief Bolaji Abdullahi, Atiku’s aide Paul Ibe, and Obidients leader Yunusa Tanko. Calls rang out. No call-backs as at press time. That’s politics too. People keep their cards close. For now, Jonathan keeps his even closer. Still. The room is buzzing. And 2027 just got louder.
