2027: Jonathan won’t gamble his legacy with another run, says former minister

Former Minister of Culture, Tourism, and National Orientation, Edem Duke, has dismissed speculations that former President Goodluck Jonathan may be dragged into active partisan politics ahead of the 2027 general election, calling such actions unwise.

Speaking on Arise Television’s Prime Time on Wednesday, Duke said Jonathan’s presidency was one of the defining times in Nigeria’s democratic history, and he maintained that the former leader’s status as a statesman should not be influenced by political calculations.

He voiced alarm over reports linking Jonathan to a potential return to frontline politics, claiming that those promoting the idea were attempting to exploit the former president’s name and integrity for political gain.

According to Duke, Jonathan has built a strong legacy both within Nigeria and across Africa, adding that his influence as a statesman extends beyond electoral politics.

The former minister stated that Jonathan understands the implications of the political discussions surrounding his name and is unlikely to risk his standing by pursuing another presidential ambition.

He said: “The news of the possibility of the distinguished President Goodluck ability to return to active politics is one that I take with a lot of trepidation because this is an iconic personality whose tenor as a president redefined some of the very best aspects of Nigeria.

“How then do you think that after having acquired the experience of being one of Nigeria’s most cerebral presidents, one who has achieved such a grand level and achievement across the continent, would now be dragged into what I see as a political lottery by people who should actually work harder to ensure that he can sustain and expand the perimeters of his influence as a statesman, not just to Nigeria, Africa, but globally.

“I think it is unfortunate that people who have not yet been able to put their house in order are now assuming that they can trade the integrity and the overwhelming personality and image of a former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan as perhaps a pawn on the political dashboard.

“This is where I have my trepidations, and I believe that President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan has his senses and his head firmly fixed, and he understands that a number of these issues that are being raised around him.

“I do know that what he stands to gain as a former president is far beyond risking another four years of aspiration.”