Jonathan vs Tinubu: Fresh Regional Pressure Emerges
- Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been said to be pressured to drop his 2027 presidential ambition and support President Bola Tinubu
- Ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, led the leaders in the regional movement on Jonathan
- The development contradicted the earlier media report that Tompolo's visit to Jonathan was about peace and security in the Niger Delta region
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has been reported to be under fresh pressure to drop his 2027 presidential ambition, as intensified efforts by some leaders in the Niger Delta region showed he was being persuaded to support the second-term bid of President Bola Tinubu.
The report indicated that ex-militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, led the leaders in the regional movement and urged the former president to drop the alleged second coming.
Source: Twitter
Tompolo, others pressure Jonathan to step down
The Punch reported that Tompolo was accompanied by top associates. These included the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Kestin Pondi, and the deputy governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2023 Bayelsa State election, Joshua Maciver.
The leaders reportedly paid a private visit to former President Jonathan at his Otuoke residence in the Ogbia local government area of Bayelsa state on Thursday, October 16. The meeting was said to have lasted for several hours and was Tompolo's first public appearance in about 10 years, which suggested the gravity of the move.
This was contrary to the earlier media report, which suggested that the discussion between Tompolo and Jonathan was around peace and security in the Niger Delta region. Multiple reliable sources revealed that the meeting was primarily political.
The sources maintained that the visit of the former militant leader was primarily to discourage the ex-president from running for the presidency and urged him to throw his weight behind the re-election bid of President Tinubu in 2027.
Is Jonathan planning to contest in 2027?
One of the sources closer to Jonathan, who confirmed the meeting on the condition of anonymity, also confirmed that the former president was nursing his return in the 2027 election. He said, “Yes, he was considering it.”
Another source closer to Tompolo gave a similar confirmation, saying the visit was historic as it had been a decade since the former militant leader had visited anyone.
The talks of Jonathan's 2027 presidential race have been gaining media attention since opposition leaders started coming together in their plot to sack President Tinubu. The leading opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), also zoned its presidential ticket to the south to pave the way for Jonathan in 2027.
Source: Twitter
Analyst urges Jonathan to remain a statesman
Legit.ng earlier reported that former President Goodluck Jonathan's joining the 2027 race has been described as a fascinating moment in Nigeria's political moment.
Omotayo Yusuf, a political analyst, made the proposition while speaking on the recent calls on the former president to join the 2027 race, in an interview with Legit.ng.
Yusuf also urged former President Jonathan on what he should do rather than join the presidential race.
Source: Legit.ng
