The Presidency has reacted sharply to calls by former Minister of Information, Prof. Jerry Gana, for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that Nigerians would not forget what it described as his “dismal record in office.”
In a statement issued on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, said President Bola Tinubu would welcome Jonathan into the race, but stressed that the former leader would be judged both in the courts and in the eyes of Nigerians.
“Former President Jonathan is welcome to the race. Nigerians will remember his dismal record in office,” Onanuga declared.
“Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land. Indeed, the jury will determine whether Jonathan, who was sworn in twice as president, satisfies the constitutional requirements and is eligible to contest the presidency and be sworn in, if successful, for a third term in office,” he added.
He accused opposition figures of prematurely heating up the political space, adding: “As we begin the march towards the 2027 elections, we are once again regaled with a cacophony of voices, most of them full of sound and fury, signifying nothing.”
Onanuga specifically criticised Gana’s attempt to draft Jonathan, describing it as “absurd.
He said:
“Prof. Gana of the defunct MAMSER fame is free to delude himself and engage in his usual comedy; after all, Jonathan’s entering the race would provide another job for the Niger State-born former university don.”
