Youths rally Jonathan for 2027 presidential bid

Hundreds of youths under the aegis of the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan on Wednesday stormed the Abuja residence of former President Goodluck Jonathan, urging him to contest the 2027 presidential election.

The rally, which was held at Taraba Close in the Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory, disrupted traffic as the demonstrators chanted slogans, danced and displayed placards calling on Jonathan to return to active politics.

Some of the placards read, “GEJ: Nigeria is dying, save it!” “GEJ, Nigerian youths break the medicine wey dem do you,” and “GEJ, if you no run, we quench.”

The National President of the coalition, Tom Ohikere, who led the march, said the group had embarked on nationwide consultations before staging the demonstration.

He said, “Everywhere that we have visited in the course of our nationwide consultation over a period of six months, the clamour for his return to power to rescue our country has been loud and unmistakable.”

Ohikere described Jonathan as a unifying figure capable of addressing Nigeria’s current political and economic challenges, adding that the group would sustain pressure until the former President responds.

“We will keep coming until we get a positive response,” he said.

The demonstrators, who waited for over three hours, were unable to meet Jonathan as he was reportedly not around.

He was, however, said to have arrived at the residence around 1 pm after the group had dispersed.

Wednesday’s rally adds to a growing wave of calls from political groups and diaspora organisations urging Jonathan to return to partisan politics ahead of the 2027 elections.

The development mirrors a similar push in 2022 when groups across the country canvassed support for the former president ahead of the 2023 general elections.

At the time, a group of northern youths and political actors went as far as purchasing the presidential nomination and expression of interest forms of the All Progressives Congress for Jonathan, despite his membership in the opposition Peoples Democratic Party.

The move sparked widespread debate over its legality and political implications, particularly as Jonathan had already served a full term and completed the tenure of his predecessor, raising questions about his eligibility under the Constitution.

Jonathan, however, declined to enter the race, maintaining silence for weeks before eventually distancing himself from the campaign.

Although the former president has not publicly declared interest in the 2027 race, there are recurring calls for his return to the political space.

Jonathan, who served as President from 2010 to 2015, has largely maintained a statesman role since leaving office, focusing on diplomacy and election observation missions across Africa.