2027: His Comeback Will Shake APC, Opposition Camps — ADC Reacts as PDP Clears Jonathan
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has reportedly secured automatic clearance from the interim National Working Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 presidential election, following the screening of 12 governorship aspirants by the Tanimu Turaki-led faction on Tuesday.
Chairman of the PDP INWC screening committee and former Vice President Namadi Sambo, represented by former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, disclosed the development while addressing journalists in Abuja after the screening exercise.
Reacting to the move, the African Democratic Congress said Jonathan’s possible return to the presidential race could redraw political alignments and compel major political parties to review their 2027 electoral strategies.
Jonathan, who governed Nigeria between 2010 and 2015, was reportedly granted a waiver by the PDP screening committee chaired by Aliyu, effectively paving the way for a potential return to frontline presidential politics.
Although the PDP national leadership has yet to officially ratify the development, the move has already triggered widespread political reactions, with analysts suggesting Jonathan’s re-emergence could reshape the political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Earlier, former presidential aide and PDP stalwart Umar Sani claimed that Jonathan had already obtained the PDP presidential nomination form for the 2027 election.
Sani, who previously served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to Sambo, made the disclosure during an appearance on Trust TV on Tuesday.
His comments followed renewed political consultations involving Jonathan across several political blocs, further intensifying speculation that the former president may be preparing for a comeback nearly 12 years after leaving office.
While Jonathan has not formally declared his presidential ambition or publicly confirmed the political platform he intends to contest under, Sani suggested that the lingering internal crisis within the PDP may explain the former president’s cautious political posture.
He also rejected claims that the party was merely leveraging Jonathan’s popularity as a survival strategy.
“The issue is not about whether we will extract commitment from him. In politics, action is what matters,” Sani said.
“If your actions suggest interest, there are steps you must take, including obtaining a nomination form. He has procured the form and is preparing to submit it publicly.”
Sani further maintained that Jonathan remains Nigeria’s strongest presidential option at the moment, insisting that legal questions surrounding his eligibility had already been addressed.
According to him, only the Supreme Court could overturn earlier judicial decisions regarding Jonathan’s eligibility, expressing confidence that the pending case before Justice Peter Lifu would be dismissed when it comes up on May 26.
He argued that many Nigerians still hold strong sentiments about Jonathan’s administration.
“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was underperforming, but Nigerians have now seen the difference clearly,” he added.
Speaking further after the screening process, the committee chairman explained that Jonathan received a waiver due to his extensive political background, effectively clearing him as the PDP presidential candidate.
“The party had already given a presidential aspirant a waiver from screening,” he said.
“He was deputy governor, governor, vice president and president, so there was nothing left to screen. Therefore, the party granted him a waiver and declared him cleared as the PDP presidential candidate, and that is former President Goodluck Jonathan.”
Aliyu also disclosed that former Oyo State Deputy Governor Taofeek Arapaja received a similar waiver from the screening committee.
The committee further confirmed that governorship aspirants from Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Akwa Ibom and Delta states were screened, while additional aspirants are expected to appear before the panel within the approved timetable.
A governorship aspirant from Kebbi State and former PDP Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Manga, confirmed to journalists that he was successfully cleared after submitting his nomination form.
Also speaking after the exercise, Delta governorship aspirant Benedict Etanabene said he joined the PDP following the collapse of the Labour Party structure in Delta State, while questioning the viability of the party in the state.
Meanwhile, PDP governorship candidate in Yobe State, Sharif Abdullahi, said his decision to contest again in 2027 was influenced by his experience in the 2023 election, promising to prioritise education, healthcare and agriculture if elected governor.
Earlier, the Turaki-led faction revealed that 2,122 aspirants are expected to be screened for State Houses of Assembly positions, 748 for the House of Representatives, 198 for Senate seats, 112 governorship aspirants and one presidential aspirant.
On April 30, the Supreme Court of Nigeria, in a split 3–2 judgment, nullified the PDP national convention held in Ibadan on November 15 and 16.
The convention, reportedly backed by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, had produced a leadership structure headed by Tanimu Turaki.
In a statement posted on its verified X handle, @ADCVANGUARD, the ADC said Jonathan’s possible return could complicate political calculations for both the ruling All Progressives Congress and opposition parties ahead of 2027.
“Jonathan’s possible return will shake the PDP, disturb APC calculations, unsettle Labour Party sympathisers, and force every political camp to rethink strategy,” the party stated.
The ADC described the development as more than a routine internal PDP matter, insisting it signals the re-emergence of old political forces ahead of what could become Nigeria’s most fiercely contested election cycle since 1999.
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The party also argued that Jonathan’s nationwide appeal and moderate public image could create additional pressure for President Bola Tinubu amid growing public dissatisfaction over inflation, insecurity and the increasing cost of living.
“For APC, this is another headache. Tinubu is already battling public anger over hardship, insecurity, inflation and broken expectations,” the ADC added.
“Now imagine facing a former president with nostalgia value, a soft public image and a familiar national network. That is not a small challenge.”
