The Presidency has said former President Goodluck Jonathan is free to join the 2027 presidential race but warned that Nigerians will not forget his “disastrous” record in office.
In a statement issued on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said the opposition’s move to draft Jonathan into the race under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) only reflects “desperation” and “selfish motives.”
The Presidency described as “absurd” comments credited to Professor Jerry Gana, a PDP chieftain and former Minister of Information, who claimed Jonathan would defeat President Bola Tinubu if he recontests.
“Prof. Gana is free to delude himself and engage in his usual comedy,” the statement read. “But Jonathan must be wary of PDP sugar-coated cheerleaders who will abandon him midstream as they did in 2015.”
While acknowledging Jonathan’s constitutional right to contest, the Presidency raised questions about his eligibility, noting that the courts would have to decide if he could seek a third term after being sworn in twice.
Onanuga also launched a scathing attack on Jonathan’s economic record, accusing his administration of reckless spending, corruption, and depletion of national reserves despite record oil revenues.
“By 2015, when Nigerians voted him out, foreign reserves had fallen below $30 billion, and the Excess Crude Account was down to $2 billion from $20 billion in 2010,” the statement said. “At least 28 states owed workers salaries, even though oil sold for an average of $100 per barrel under his watch.”
In contrast, the statement touted Tinubu’s “bold reforms,” including subsidy removal and exchange rate unification, which it claimed have restored investor confidence and boosted growth.
According to the Presidency, Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, inflation dropped to 20.12% in August—the lowest in three years—while foreign reserves rose to $42.03 billion.
“The nation has turned the corner,” Onanuga stated. “Road projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and Sokoto-Badagry Highway are underway, and security challenges are being addressed.”
He added that while Jonathan and other PDP aspirants are free to contest, Nigerians “will not allow them to return and run down the economy again.”
