The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has reacted to growing speculation over the possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Jonathan, who lost his reelection bid in 2015 to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, is being encouraged by some supporters to re-enter the political race.
In a statement on Friday, APC’s Lagos State Publicity Secretary, Mr. Seye Oladejo, said Jonathan’s political relevance in challenging President Bola Tinubu remained doubtful.
“While we acknowledge the former president’s role in the peaceful democratic transition of 2015, an act that rightly earned him praise at home and abroad, we must state, in clear terms, that Nigeria has since moved beyond the politics of sentiment, nostalgia, and symbolism,” Oladejo said.
He argued that the challenges facing Nigeria today require bold and forward-thinking leadership, not a return to what he described as an imperfect past.
“Good luck alone is not a governance strategy,” he remarked, while accusing Jonathan’s 2010–2015 administration of leaving behind widespread corruption, insecurity, and economic stagnation.
Oladejo further noted that any potential comeback bid by Jonathan would face constitutional and political obstacles, given that he had already completed more than one term in office. Such a move, he warned, could trigger legal battles and political instability.
He also questioned Jonathan’s political intentions, citing his previous engagements across party lines, including his perceived flirtation with the APC and absence from the PDP’s restructuring efforts.
According to Oladejo, the APC remains focused on reforms and on presenting credible candidates who embody the aspirations of Nigeria’s youthful population.
“Former President Jonathan remains a respected elder statesman. His legacy as a peaceful democrat is assured. But legacies are not manifestoes, and nostalgia is not governance,” he said.
The APC spokesman urged Nigerians to look ahead rather than backwards as the 2027 elections approach, insisting that the country’s future lies in visionary, accountable, and transformative leadership.