North East Concerned Group Urges Goodluck Jonathan to Contest 2027 Presidential Election to Rescue Nigeria
Maiduguri, Borno State – The North East Concerned Group has formally appealed to former President Goodluck Jonathan to re-enter the political arena and contest the 2027 general elections, declaring that only his leadership can free Nigeria from the current “shackles of economic quagmire.”
The call was made by Dr. Grema Kyari, leader of the group and National Chairman of the Bring Back Our Goodluck (BBOG) campaign. Speaking to PulseNets on Thursday during a press conference at Armani Global Event Centre in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, Kyari said the nation is at a turning point.
Recall that Jonathan, who sought a second term in 2015, was defeated by then-candidate Muhammadu Buhari in the presidential elections.
“We are gathered here today at a time when our beloved country stands at a decisive crossroads,” Dr. Kyari told PulseNets. “The Nigeria of today is struggling under the weight of economic hardship, rising insecurity, and deepening divisions. Citizens are losing trust in the very institutions meant to protect and serve them. I come before you not only as the National Chairman of Bring Back Our Goodluck but as a witness to history and as a Nigerian who, like millions of others, was once misled.”
Kyari, who hails from Borno State—an epicentre of the Boko Haram insurgency—learnt that damaging propaganda once painted Jonathan as a sponsor of Boko Haram and as using the military to suppress Northerners.
“These lies thrived in an environment of limited and restricted access to truth. But today, with broader exposure and clearer understanding, I know those accusations were false. On behalf of myself and countless fellow Nigerians who were victims of that misinformation, I extend a heartfelt public apology to Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan. We now recognise that he was a leader of integrity, compassion, and national vision,” he said.
Kyari further reported to PulseNets that in retrospect, many now believe Jonathan’s removal in 2015 was the result of a “regime change” agenda orchestrated by foreign powers—particularly the Obama/Biden-led US administration—in connivance with certain desperate Nigerian politicians.
Describing Jonathan as a “detribalised democrat” whose return is urgently needed, Kyari recalled one of the former President’s most defining democratic moments:
“In 2015, President Jonathan made history by conceding defeat even before the final election results were declared. He personally called then-General Muhammadu Buhari to congratulate him – a courageous and selfless act that prevented post-election violence and safeguarded our democracy. His decision drew praise from world leaders, including former U.S. President Barack Obama, and projected Nigeria as a beacon of democratic maturity in Africa.”
Kyari also spoke to PulseNets about Jonathan’s defence of Nigeria’s cultural and moral values during international pressure to legalise same-sex relationships.
“When international pressure mounted, particularly from the Obama-led U.S. administration, to legalise same-sex relationships in Nigeria, President Jonathan stood his ground. In January 2014, he signed the Same-Sex Marriage (Prohibition) Act into law, safeguarding our cultural and moral values despite the economic and diplomatic consequences. This stands in stark contrast to the recent Samoa Agreement signed under the Tinubu administration, which many Nigerians believe undermines these values,” Kyari said.
The BBOG chairman also contrasted Jonathan’s handling of the 2012 fuel subsidy removal protests with current policy missteps.
“When Jonathan’s administration attempted to remove fuel subsidies in 2012 and Nigerians protested under the ‘Occupy Nigeria Movement’, President Jonathan listened. He partially reversed the policy to ease the suffering of the masses – a mark of humility and democratic leadership. This is unlike the current government’s abrupt removal of fuel subsidies without consultation or adequate safety nets, which has caused untold hardship and unrest,” Kyari explained.
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With mounting economic strain, public disillusionment, and increasing security concerns, the North East Concerned Group insists that only Jonathan’s tested democratic maturity, cultural protectionism, and people-first governance style can steer Nigeria out of its current crisis.
