By Eshioromeh Sebastian
Human rights lawyer and activist Deji Adeyanju has issued an open letter to former President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to abandon any ambition to contest the 2027 presidential election and instead continue serving as an elder statesman.
In the letter addressed to Jonathan, Adeyanju expressed concern that re-entering the “roughness” of electoral politics could unintentionally diminish the statesmanlike stature the former president has earned since leaving office in 2015.
He described Nigeria’s current political climate as “already fragile” and warned that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform with which Jonathan is being linked appears “increasingly unstable and divided.”
A faction of the PDP led by former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Turaki, recently announced Jonathan as its presidential candidate for the 2027 election. The announcement was made at a special national convention held at the faction’s office in Abuja, though the former president was conspicuously absent. His certificate of return was received on his behalf by Fred Agbedi, a member of the House of Representatives from Bayelsa State.
Jonathan has neither confirmed nor denied his candidacy, but the prospect of his return has generated sharp divisions among political stakeholders.
Supporters argue that exceptional situations require tested hands, pointing to international precedents such as Donald Trump’s return in the United States and John Mahama’s comeback in Ghana.
Benedict Etanabene, a lawmaker representing Delta State in the House of Representatives, recently pleaded with Jonathan to run, arguing that “when societies are in deep difficulty, they look for their best tested hands.” He cited Jonathan’s tenure for maintaining Nigeria’s status as Africa’s largest economy and preserving the independence of democratic institutions.
However, critics have been equally vocal. Ray Nnaji, South East Vice Chairman of the PDP, cautioned that contesting would be “a big mistake” for Jonathan, warning he would “rubbish a good name he made by handing power over to somebody who has defeated him as an incumbent.”
Since leaving office, Jonathan has cultivated a reputation as a global democratic icon. President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, speaking at the 10th anniversary of the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in November 2025, praised the former president as “a guardian of our collective values” who preserved Nigeria’s democracy by conceding the 2015 election and preventing bloodshed.
Tinubu, represented by Vice President Kashim Shettima, noted that Jonathan “has remained the same guardian of our collective values since leaving office” and that his foundation demonstrates how “public service does not end after leaving office.” The former president remains in high demand for peace negotiations and election observation missions across Africa.
Jonathan’s potential candidacy is complicated by the deep crisis within the PDP, which has splintered into factions. The Turaki-led faction that announced Jonathan is locked in a leadership struggle with a rival faction loyal to Nyesom Wike, the current Minister of the Federal Capital Territory.
The Wike faction has allegedly used government machinery to harass the Turaki group, with observers noting that Wike “has severed all contacts with all those who helped shape his life” and now expects figures like Jonathan to “defer to him.”
The political landscape has been further muddied by speculation about potential running mates. Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed was recently forced to deny reports linking him as Jonathan’s vice-presidential candidate, insisting his focus remains on contesting for the Bauchi South Senatorial District seat under the Allied Peoples Movement (APM).
The PDP faction backing Jonathan has dismissed criticism, claiming that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) is “jittery” over the former president’s potential return.
In a statement, the faction’s National Publicity Secretary, Ini Ememobong, argued that Nigerians “have not forgotten that under his administration, the country enjoyed political stability, sustained economic growth, increased foreign investor confidence, and a more inclusive national atmosphere.”
The faction also responded to comments by Aviation Minister Festus Keyamo, who called on Jonathan to dissociate himself from the race, urging the minister to focus on “addressing the numerous challenges confronting the aviation sector” rather than the internal affairs of the PDP.
In his open letter, Adeyanju who has spent nearly three decades advocating for democracy and civil liberties in Nigeria, made a personal appeal to Jonathan’s sense of legacy.
He argued that subjecting himself to “the roughness of another electoral contest” risks unnecessary controversy that “could unintentionally diminish the statesmanlike stature you have earned.”
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