2027 Election: How Jonathan's Mooted Comeback Reportedly Contributed to Atiku's Imminent PDP Exit

• The February 2027 presidential election is 20 months away, going by the timetable of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but the political firmament is as if the poll will be held in 2026
• A new report has noted the potential candidacy of former Nigerian leader Goodluck Jonathan, citing political stakeholders close to ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar
• Jonathan was president between 2010 and 2015, under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), now in opposition

FCT, Abuja - As Nigerians look forward to the 2027 presidential election, sources have said that Atiku Abubakar and his allies are preparing to exit the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Legit.ng reports that the PDP, Nigeria’s main opposition party, has been experiencing an internal crisis since 2022.

Virtually every party organ and caucus appears factionalised and is engaged in proxy squabbles for the party’s soul.

The internal discord, this news platform understands, is fuelled by a struggle to control the party’s structure.

From Umar Damagum's role as the PDP national chairman—which is challenged by several top party chieftains—to Atiku's power-control tussle with Nyesom Wike, the minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), some political observers have said the PDP is a dying party.

Alhaji Atiku, a former vice-president, has contested unsuccessfully for president of Nigeria six times, in 1993, 2007, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023. Now 78, he is expected to throw his hat into the ring again in 2027 and has been actively working with a coalition of like-minded politicians.

According to a report on Thursday, May 22, by The Cable, insiders with knowledge of the ongoing anti-Bola Tinubu coalition scheme disclosed that Atiku’s loyalists believe former President Goodluck Jonathan is considering a comeback. Atiku's allies reportedly feel that Jonathan may secure the PDP presidential ticket, especially with support from key men in the party.

Jonathan to contest again? "never say never"

It is common for Nigerian politicians to renege their vow during elections, but it would have been a surprising about-turn if the PDP had decided to embrace a politician who has since transitioned into an elder statesman.

There are often calls for Jonathan to run for the highest office in the land .

In April, Jibril Mustapha, president of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation and former president of Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO), urged Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

Mustapha, who made this call in a statement, posited that Jonathan should heed the call to run for the office of the president again.

He said:

“As the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation believes that now is the time for all stakeholders to come together and support a candidate who can genuinely represent the interests of all Nigerians.

“We urge former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider this call and to step forward as a candidate who can unite our country and lead us towards a brighter future.

“This appeal comes in light of the numerous challenges currently facing Nigeria, including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and rampant banditry.”

Source: Legit.ng