- Goodluck Ebele Jonathan is reportedly planning to run for the presidency again in the 2027 elections via the PDP
- Intense competition arose among factions supporting Jonathan’s ambition to secure the presidential nomination form
- A group, the ‘Goodluckan Movement’, stated that it represents the broader interests of Nigerians worldwide in its support for Jonathan’s candidacy
Legit.ng journalist Ridwan Adeola Yusuf has over 9 years of experience covering politics, elections, and governance in Nigeria and Africa.
FCT, Abuja – Ahead of the 2027 elections, former president Goodluck Jonathan will reportedly seek a return to the presidency on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Legit.ng reports that Jonathan served as the president from 2010 to 2015. He lost the 2015 presidential election to the late former president Muhammadu Buhari.
Source: Facebook
As reported by Vanguard, a top official in Jonathan’s team confirmed on Sunday, May 10, 2026, that the decision to use the PDP followed extensive deliberation over where his chances were brighter in returning to power, ‘to provide quality leadership amid growing hardship and poverty’.
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Jonathan eyes 2027 presidential return
Reports suggesting that the PDP may serve as the platform for former president Goodluck Jonathan’s political return have triggered intense competition among groups said to be backing his ambition.
According to a party source who spoke anonymously, several factions are now vying to purchase the presidential nomination form, priced at N100 million, as the submission deadline approaches on Tuesday, May 12.
One prominent group, the ‘Goodluckan Movement’, made up of Nigerians in the diaspora, claims the right to secure the form on Jonathan’s behalf, arguing that it better represents global Nigerian interests than competing northern blocs also seeking to front his candidacy.
In 2015, Jonathan became the first Nigerian president to concede defeat in an election.
Jonathan said at the time:
“I thank all Nigerians once again for the great opportunity I was given to lead this country.”
The concession allowed the transfer of power to the opposition party in Africa’s biggest democracy, a country that had hitherto experienced vote-rigging and violence.
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Though he is currently facing significant pressure to return to partisan politics for the 2027 presidential election, Jonathan is widely regarded in Nigeria as a respected elder statesman. The 68-year-old’s last known political party is the PDP, which has been embroiled in a crisis since 2022.
Source: Original
Read more on Goodluck Jonathan:
Kenneth Okonkwo warns Jonathan
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Kenneth Okonkwo, a former chieftain of the Labour Party (LP), advised the PDP to allow Goodluck Jonathan to enjoy his ‘retirement from public office’ in peace, rather than luring him into the 2027 race.
Okonkwo explained that rather than luring Jonathan into the 2027 election race, the cheerleaders should allow the former Nigerian leader to enjoy his credibility.
The former LP chieftain asked Jonathan to maintain his status as an “international statesman.”
Proofreading by Funmilayo Aremu, copy editor at Legit.ng.
Source: Legit.ng