Jonathan 2027: They failed him in 2023, now want him to revive dead PDP — Sani

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani

Jonathan 2027: They failed him in 2023, now want him to revive dead PDP — Sani

ABUJA – Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, has criticised moves by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race, describing the effort as belated and politically motivated.

Sani made the remark in a post on his X platform on Monday while reacting to the adoption of Jonathan as the presidential candidate of a PDP faction ahead of the 2027 general election. According to the former lawmaker, those now promoting Jonathan’s candidacy failed to support him when the party was in a stronger position and more capable of mounting a serious electoral challenge. “If they actually wanted GEJ, they should have fielded him in 2023 when the party was relatively alive and in good shape,” Sani wrote. He argued that the current move appears less about giving Jonathan a realistic opportunity to lead the country again and more about using his political stature to revive a struggling political platform. “They just now want him to help them carry the coffin,” he added. Sani’s comments come amid growing reactions to the emergence of Jonathan as the presidential candidate of a PDP faction led by Kabiru Turaki following a special convention held in Abuja on Saturday, May 30, 2026.

The Turaki-led faction of the PDP went ahead with its planned special convention on Saturday, where former President Goodluck Jonathan was symbolically ratified as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2027 general election. The event, which initially faced disruption, was relocated from the A-Class Park and Event Centre in Wuse 2 to a venue in Area 10, Garki, Abuja, following heightened security presence and reported roadblocks by police operatives. Former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, received the Certificate of Return on behalf of Jonathan during the factional gathering, as the former president was not present at the convention. According to earlier reports, the faction had announced plans to hold the special convention after former President Jonathan was reportedly cleared as the party’s sole presidential aspirant following his failure to appear before the faction’s presidential screening committee for two consecutive days. A member of the Presidential Screening Committee, Babangida Aliyu, disclosed that Jonathan had been cleared as the party’s sole presidential aspirant, stating that the party’s leadership had granted Jonathan the necessary waiver to participate in the primary process. “As you know, the party had already given a presidential aspirant the waiver. Like I said in the beginning, he was a deputy governor, became governor, became vice-president and became president. So, we didn’t see anything that needed screening. Therefore, the party had given him a waiver,” Babangida Aliyu said.

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Despite the ratification by the Turaki faction, former President Goodluck Jonathan has yet to publicly confirm whether he intends to return to active presidential politics or contest the 2027 election. In early May 2026, when youth groups visited him urging him to contest, Jonathan responded that the presidency was “not a computer game” and that he would consult widely before making any decision. “You are asking me to come and contest the next election. Presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you and I’ll consult widely,” Jonathan said at the time. As of the time of filing this report, Jonathan has not publicly responded to the nomination announced by the Turaki-led PDP faction.

The Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Festus Keyamo (SAN) , has also weighed in on the issue, urging former President Jonathan to publicly reject the presidential nomination extended to him by the PDP faction. Keyamo argued that the faction behind the nomination is not recognised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) , questioning the legality and political weight of its actions. He described the move as “bizarre comedy taken too far” and criticised what he called the absurdity of offering “a whole Presidential ticket to an ex-president and statesman by proxy and by a bunch of people not even registered on INEC’s website.” “For the sake of his global image, President Goodluck Jonathan must IMMEDIATELY issue a strong ‘no, thank you’ statement,” Keyamo said.

The development has further exposed the deep divisions within the opposition PDP, which remains embroiled in an internal leadership crisis that has resulted in the emergence of rival factions. While the Turaki-led faction, backed by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed (who has since left the PDP for the Allied Peoples Movement, APM), lays claim to the party leadership on one side, the group aligned with Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Nyesom Wike controls the other faction. The Wike-backed PDP faction has called on Jonathan to dissociate himself from the Turaki group’s endorsement, describing the planned convention and ratification as “misleading, unfounded, and intended to create confusion within the polity.” In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Jungudo Mohammed, the faction stated that no such convention, meeting, or process had been scheduled, approved, or endorsed by the leadership or any recognised organ of the PDP. “We respectfully call on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to publicly dissociate himself from this charade in order to protect the integrity of the democratic process and preserve the credibility he earned while serving the nation,” the statement read. INEC has recognised the PDP National Working Committee (NWC) led by Abdulrahman Mohammed as the legitimate leadership of the party, meaning the Turaki faction that nominated Jonathan may not be recognised by the electoral umpire for the 2027 elections.

Following the development, there were speculations that Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, could become Jonathan’s running mate under the factional arrangement. However, Mohammed has dismissed such reports. In a response on X, Mohammed said his focus remained on contesting the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat in 2027 under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) . “Thank you for your interest in my political aspirations. However, for the sake of clarity, my focus remains firmly on contesting for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the platform of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM),” he wrote. “Any reports suggesting a different political course should be disregarded as speculative and inaccurate,” the governor added. Mohammed recently left the PDP for the APM following the crisis rocking the opposition party.

Despite the political uncertainty, a Federal High Court in Abuja recently dismissed a suit seeking to stop former President Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election, describing the action as an abuse of court process. This ruling effectively clears any legal barriers that could have prevented Jonathan from running, should he decide to accept the nomination.