Until recently, I stood firmly in the camp of those who believed that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan should not consider a return to the Nigerian presidency in 2027. When prominent leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party, such as Professor Jerry Gana and Governor Bala Mohammed, began to encourage him earlier this year to re-enter the political fray, I was among the first to advise against it.
My reasoning at the time was rooted in the global stature Dr Jonathan currently enjoys. He is not only a statesman of repute, but also a respected voice in international diplomacy, trusted by organisations like the United Nations and the African Union. I felt he should continue on that noble path.
However, events in recent months have compelled me to reconsider.
The increasingly panicked responses from the ruling All Progressives Congress at the mere mention of Dr Jonathan’s name have revealed just how powerful his candidacy would be. Ministers in the Tinubu administration have gone out of their way to issue unsolicited legal opinions, character attacks, and political commentary, all aimed at discouraging one man from exercising his democratic rights. This reaction, more than anything else, has confirmed that Jonathan is the candidate they fear most.
One of the loudest voices in this manufactured legal argument has been that of Festus Keyamo, who claimed that Dr Jonathan cannot contest again because he has been “sworn in twice.” This argument, however, does not hold water when placed against the clear provisions of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended).
Specifically, Section 137(1)(b) of the Constitution disqualifies a person who has been elected to the office of President “at any two previous elections.” The operative word is **elected**. Goodluck Jonathan was not elected in 2010 when he first assumed office. He stepped in as President by virtue of the **Doctrine of Necessity**, following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. That tenure was constitutionally incomplete and served purely to stabilise the nation. It was not the result of an election.
Furthermore, in 2022, a High Court in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, ruled unequivocally that Dr Jonathan remains constitutionally qualified to contest the presidency. The court stated that the constitutional amendment introduced in 2018, which bars anyone from being elected to the office of President more than twice, cannot be applied retroactively. Jonathan had held office before that amendment came into effect. Therefore, his eligibility remains intact and unimpeached.
This legal reality appears to have sent the ruling party into panic mode.
Even more curious is the unsolicited advice from the Honourable Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike. Wike, once a self-proclaimed loyalist of Jonathan, now presumes to lecture a former President on the virtues of staying out of politics. He says Jonathan should “remain an elder statesman,” yet has taken it upon himself to speak daily on matters far beyond his ministerial brief.
The irony is too glaring to ignore.
One cannot help but reflect on the timeless words of John Adams, the second President of the United States:
“Power always thinks it has a great soul and that it is doing God’s service when it is violating all his laws.”
Wike would do well to reflect on this. A man who once positioned himself as a defender of democratic values has now turned himself into an unsolicited adviser, lacking the moral high ground to dictate the political future of a man whose legacy far outweighs his own.
Is Wike the only minister in Nigeria? Why the constant press briefings? Why the obsession with controlling the narrative? Why the fear of one man exercising his constitutional rights?
The answer is simple. They know that President Tinubu has failed to meet the expectations of the Nigerian people, and they know that a Jonathan comeback would reawaken public optimism, both locally and internationally.
Indeed, the “Bring Back Our Goodluck” campaign continues to gain momentum, especially in Northern Nigeria. The reasons are not hard to understand. Under Jonathan, Nigeria witnessed a calmer, more civil political environment, greater freedom of expression, and a leader who, even in defeat, placed national unity above personal ambition.
Jonathan represents a return to civility, maturity, and international credibility. His leadership is remembered for its humility, respect for institutions, and commitment to democratic ideals. And now, when Nigeria needs all these virtues more than ever, those in power fear his return.
That fear is telling.
For me, the decision is now clear.
Run, Jonathan, Run.
Ambassador Deacon Darlington Okpebholo Ray
Media Consultant, Journalist, Human Resource Expert, Socio-political and Civil Rights Activist, writing from London, England