Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said he will consult widely before deciding whether to contest the 2027 presidential election amid growing calls for his return to power.
Jonathan made the remark on Thursday while receiving youth groups at his Abuja office, where they urged him to join the race for Nigeria’s top office.
The former President cautioned that seeking the presidency required careful reflection and broad consultations.
“You are asking me to come and contest the next election. The presidential race is not a computer game. But I’ve heard you, and I’ll consult widely,” he said.
Jonathan also urged Nigerian youths to champion peace and credible elections, stressing that flawed electoral processes discourage competent citizens from participating in politics.
According to him, Nigeria continues to record poor voter turnout despite having a large voting population.
“I’ve observed elections in several African countries and Southeast Asia. Nigeria has one of the lowest voter turnouts during elections,” he stated, calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission to address the challenge.
He further challenged young Nigerians to participate actively in elections by obtaining voter cards and voting during polls.
“If I ask how many of you have voter cards now, probably about 50 per cent do not have one, yet you want me to contest,” he added.
Jonathan also lamented the perception of Nigerians abroad, attributing part of the problem to leadership failures over the years.
The former President, however, maintained that he had yet to take any decision on the 2027 race.
“I cannot just wake up and say I want to be President again. I will consult, and if there is a need to, I will wait,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Abuja is expected to hear a suit today seeking to stop Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The suit, marked FHC/ABJ/CS/2102/2025 and filed by lawyer Johnmary Jideobi, is asking the court to declare Jonathan constitutionally ineligible to seek the presidency again.
Justice Peter Lifu had earlier ordered hearing notices to be served on the defendants after they reportedly failed to respond to the suit.
Jonathan is listed as the first defendant, while the Independent National Electoral Commission and the Attorney-General of the Federation are the second and third defendants respectively.
The plaintiff is seeking an order restraining Jonathan from presenting himself as a candidate for the 2027 election and also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting or publishing his name.
According to the originating summons, the plaintiff wants the court to determine whether Jonathan, having completed the tenure of late President Umaru Musa Yar'Adua before winning the 2011 election, has exhausted the constitutional limit of two presidential terms.
In an affidavit supporting the suit, the plaintiff argued that Jonathan was sworn in on May 6, 2010, following Yar’Adua’s death a day earlier, and later completed another full term after winning the 2011 election.
The affidavit maintained that if Jonathan contests and wins in 2027, he would be taking the presidential oath for the third time, contrary to constitutional provisions.
The plaintiff said the suit was filed in the public interest to preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s constitutional order.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Democratic Congress has dismissed reports of a political pact with Jonathan ahead of the 2027 election.
The party’s Deputy National Spokesman, Abdulmumin Abdulsalam, said consultations on its presidential ticket were still ongoing and no decision had been taken regarding Jonathan.
“The NDC is a party that believes in consultations and consensus-building. We have not zoned the presidential ticket,” he said.
Abdulsalam added that the party was attracting interest from several prominent politicians, including former governors, ex-ministers and lawmakers across party lines.
He, however, described reports linking Jonathan with the party’s presidential ticket as speculation.
“There is no concrete move regarding Jonathan within the hierarchy of the party. But he remains constitutionally qualified to contest on any platform of his choice,” he stated.
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