[ICYMI] 2027: Wike Warns Against Jonathan’s Return Bid, Says Move Could Trigger Crisis

 

Ex-president Goodluck Jonathan and Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike

The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned against calls for former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that such moves could plunge the country into crisis.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Thursday night, Wike described the campaign as insincere and hypocritical, noting that many of those now pushing for Jonathan’s return had abandoned him during his failed re-election bid in 2015.

“Anybody saying Jonathan should return because he will only do one term is only looking for a crisis,” Wike said. “These are the same people who frustrated him in 2015. Why now? Jonathan has made a name for himself globally, and they just want to drag him into unnecessary conflict.”

The minister argued that projecting Jonathan or any southern candidate under the guise of a “one-term presidency” was a deceptive political ploy that risked upsetting Nigeria’s delicate political balance.

On the current state of the nation, Wike admitted that Nigerians were experiencing economic hardship but maintained that President Bola Tinubu had taken “tough but necessary decisions” to reposition the economy.

“Yes, there is hardship, I agree. But no one can deny that this government is making efforts to improve things. I see the projects in Abuja daily; they are evidence that something is happening,” he said.

Wike also dismissed warnings by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar about a possible revolution over hunger and poverty, accusing him of hypocrisy.

“Atiku was vice president for eight years. Why didn’t he lay the foundation to prevent hunger then? Now he keeps talking about hunger and revolution. For me, I don’t even bother reading what he says, because there is no truth in it,” he stated.

He urged Nigerians to remain patient with the Tinubu administration while warning opposition figures against exploiting the nation’s economic challenges for political gain.

Calls for Jonathan’s possible return to the presidency have recently gained momentum. In August, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was considering Jonathan and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as potential candidates for the party’s 2027 ticket.

“Certainly, former President Jonathan is one of the candidates we are considering if he joins us and opens his mind to run,” Mohammed said, describing Jonathan as “one of the most celebrated politicians in Nigeria today.”