Eshioromeh Sebastian
Dr. Ugoji Egbujo, a medical doctor turned lawyer and columnist for Vanguard Newspapers, has described former President Goodluck Jonathan as a “jester” over his reported ambition to secure the presidential ticket of the main opposition party.
His comments come as a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde announced on Tuesday that it had adopted Jonathan as the party’s sole presidential candidate for the 2027 general elections. The faction also waived screening requirements for the former president.
According to reports, a former presidential aide, Umar Sani, has claimed that Jonathan has already purchased the PDP nomination form, reportedly costing about N100 million.
Egbujo on his Facebook page on Tuesday, accused Jonathan of political cowardice, saying the former president has not once criticized President Bola Tinubu since 2023.
“Since 2023, the man hasn’t found the guts to criticize Tinubu. Not once. Never,” Egbujo wrote.
He dismissed Jonathan’s reported interest in running as “yahoo yahoo politics,” arguing that Jonathan played no role in strengthening the opposition while the country drifted toward a one-party state.
Egbujo noted that opposition governors had been “bullied, broken and bought” to seek refuge at Tinubu’s feet, yet Jonathan did nothing.
“The man looks like a coward propelled by unseen malevolent hands to an utter and total humiliation at the market square,” he said.
Egbujo further questioned why Jonathan had not worked to build a stable opposition coalition if he genuinely wanted to return to office.
He suggested the former president’s post-2015 reputation as a “good man” who conceded gracefully was being undermined by what he called a “boneheaded” obsession with power.
“If Jonathan wanted to run, why didn’t he engineer a stable all-opposition coalition?” Egbujo asked.
He concluded that Jonathan’s problem is not merely timidity but a deeper lack of political judgment. “The man is absolutely and comprehensively clueless,” Egbujo said.
Dr. Ugoji Egbujo is a columnist for Vanguard Newspapers and the author of Spirit of Danfo and Uju Jupiter. He is known for his sharp critiques of Nigerian politics and governance.
Jonathan has reportedly approached a Federal High Court in Abuja to challenge a suit seeking to stop him from contesting the 2027 election on the grounds that he has already served two terms in office.
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