According to the Presidency, if former President Goodluck Jonathan decides to run for president in 2027, his “disastrous” term in office will be a significant barrier.
In a statement released Monday in Abuja, Presidential Spokesperson Mr. Bayo Onanuga made this known in response to assertions made by former Information Minister Jerry Gana that Jonathan would compete for office in 2027 under the PDP.
Nigerians will remember Jonathan’s poor performance in administration, Onanuga said, dismissing Gana’s remarks as “delusional” and emphasising that the former president cannot overcome President Bola Tinubu by making a comeback after 12 years in power.
In spite of President Bola Tinubu’s obvious economic progress, the opposition’s desperation has forced the country to start the march towards the 2027 elections too soon.
“Prof. Jerry Gana’s recent statement is notable for its ridiculousness. Former President Goodluck Jonathan is being draughted into the 2027 presidential election by the former Minister of Information and National Orientation.
“After 16 years of poor leadership, he confirmed that the former president would run in the upcoming election on the platform of the discredited PDP, which left a legacy of economic ruin.”
“Gana even fooled himself, believing that after 12 years, the former president would defeat President Tinubu to regain power.”
Given that Jonathan was sworn in twice as president and would encounter constitutional obstacles while attempting to serve a third term, Onanuga pointed out that the courts might need to decide on his eligibility.
He cautioned Jonathan against falling for the lies of “sugar-coated” PDP supporters like Gana, claiming that their goals were political, religious, ethnic, and self-serving rather than patriotic.
According to Onanuga, Jonathan would become politically stranded once more if the same political elite abandoned him in the middle of the race, as they did in 2015.
Although he emphasised that Tinubu will accept the challenge and rely on the legal system to determine eligibility, he accepted Jonathan’s constitutional right to run.
Jonathan’s legacy was attacked by the presidency, which presented a negative image of his tenure and charged him with poor governance and economic incompetence.
Let’s review Jonathan’s past performance. We cannot quickly forget how his rule destroyed the economy and left the nation in serious straits by engaging in wasteful expenditure and lacking a clear economic vision.
“President Jonathan actually started the country’s economic downturn, which President Tinubu is making every effort to reverse.”
“The economy was badly harmed by the Jonathan administration, and all important indicators fell during his tenure.”
“Under him, the so-called business moguls used foreign exchange to buy fuel, just keeping the money for themselves and not buying anything else.” Some of those huge folks still have court cases on the matter today.”
Citing Jonathan’s former national security adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd), the presidency also claimed widespread corruption under his administration, especially in security spending.
“President Jonathan inherited $66 billion in 2010, of which $20 billion was in the honourable but misused Excess Crude Account and $46 billion was in foreign reserves.”
“Despite generating record revenue from crude oil sales that the country had never achieved in more than 25 years combined, the foreign reserves had fallen below $30 billion by 2015, when the people democratically removed him from office, and the Excess Crude Account had been depleted to $2 billion.”
The president went on to say that although crude oil sold for an average of $100 per barrel between 2010 and 2013, the government was having trouble paying its employees by 2014.
However, by December 2014, the Federal Government under Jonathan was unable to continue paying Federal Civil Servants their salaries. Workers in at least 28 states nationwide owing enormous salary arrears.
Onanuga, however, asserted that Tinubu had made audacious choices to remove subsidies and unify the currency rate in order to stabilise the economy in less than 30 months.
In just over two years in power, the president has steadied the economy. The Gross Domestic Product expanded by 4.23% in the second quarter of 2025, the most in four years, surpassing the International Monetary Fund’s forecast of 3.4%.
In August 2025, inflation dropped to 20.12%, the lowest amount in three years. The current amount of foreign reserves is $42.03 billion. The value of the Naira has essentially steadied. Now that investor trust in our economy has returned, they are placing bets on Nigeria.
The president also emphasised Tinubu’s efforts to reduce insecurity nationwide and his accomplishments in infrastructure.
According to Onanuga, Nigerians would make their decision based on historical performance, but the opposition is free to run.
“The 2027 election is open to President Jonathan and others. Millions of Nigerians, who will not readily forget the previous experience, will not permit them to return and destroy the economy once more.
