The presidency has said former President Goodluck Jonathan is free to contest the 2027 elections.
In a statement on Monday, Bayo Onanuga, special adviser to President Bola Tinubu on information and strategy, said while Jonathan is welcome to the race, Nigerians will not forget his “dismal record in office.”
The presidency reacted to comments by Jerry Gana, former minister of information, who claimed that Jonathan would contest the 2027 presidential election under the Peoples Democratic Party.
Gana had said Jonathan would defeat Tinubu to reclaim power after 12 years.
Onanuga described Gana’s statement as “absurd”, adding that Jonathan would be misled by PDP figures into joining the race and eventually abandoned.
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“Politicians of Jerry Gana’s ilk merely want to lure him into the race to satisfy their personal, political, religious, and ethnic interests,” the statement reads.
“They will abandon him midstream, as they did in 2015, and leave Gentleman Jonathan in the lurch.”
The presidential spokesperson said while Jonathan has the right to contest, the former president may have to face questions about his eligibility since he has been sworn in twice.
“President Jonathan reserves the right to run if he wishes. It is his inalienable right to contest the presidency again. President Tinubu will wholeheartedly welcome him if he decides to enter the race,” he said.
“But Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land. Indeed, the jury will determine whether Jonathan, who was sworn in twice as president, satisfies the constitutional requirements and is eligible to contest the presidency and be sworn in, if successful, for a third term in office.”
Onanuga accused Jonathan of running the country’s economy aground during his six years in office, noting that the downturn that Nigeria experienced began under him.
“Let us remind ourselves about Jonathan’s record. We cannot forget in a hurry how his regime, devoid of any clear economic agenda, engaged in frivolous spending, ran the economy aground and put the country in dire straits,” he said.
“The Jonathan administration severely damaged the economy, and all key indicators declined under his watch.”
He said Jonathan inherited $66 billion in reserves and excess crude account in 2010 but left less than $32 billion by 2015, despite enjoying record oil revenues.
Onanuga added that by December 2014, the Jonathan administration could not pay federal salaries, and at least 28 states owed workers arrears.
He contrasted this with Tinubu’s “bold reforms”, citing the removal of fuel subsidy, unification of exchange rates and growth in GDP and reserves.
“In plain language, the nation has turned the corner. And our people have started reaping the gains of the bold reforms instituted by the Tinubu administration,” he said.
“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.”