The Presidency has said that former President Goodluck Jonathan is free to contest in the 2027 presidential election, but insisted Nigerians will not forget what it called his “poor record” in office.
Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, made this known in a statement on Monday. His words were a response to former Minister of Information, Professor Jerry Gana, who suggested that Jonathan could return to power on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Onanuga dismissed Gana’s comments, describing them as “absurd.” He warned Jonathan not to be deceived by PDP “sugar-coated cheerleaders” who only want to use him for their own political, ethnic, or religious interests. According to him, the same group abandoned Jonathan in 2015 when he lost his re-election bid.
“Don’t get us wrong,” Onanuga said. “Jonathan has the right to run if he wishes. But Nigerians will still judge him for his past.”
The Presidency recalled that Jonathan inherited about $66 billion in reserves and the Excess Crude Account in 2010 but left less than $30 billion by 2015. It also accused his administration of corruption, wasteful spending, and failing to pay salaries in many states despite record oil revenues.
Onanuga compared this to Tinubu’s government, claiming the President has made progress in just 28 months with reforms like removing fuel subsidy, stabilising the naira, and improving infrastructure. He pointed to GDP growth of 4.23% in Q2 2025, inflation dropping to 20.12% in August, and foreign reserves of $42.03 billion.
“The nation has turned the corner,” the Presidency insisted, adding that Nigerians will not allow the PDP to “break the economy again.”
