A former presidential aide and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, has claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has purchased a presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, made the claim on Tuesday (today) during an appearance on Trust TV.
According to him, Jonathan’s recent political movements and consultations indicate that he may be preparing for a return to the presidential race, nearly 12 years after leaving office.
PrimeTimes Nigeria reports that although the former president has yet to publicly declare his intention to contest or name the political platform he may use, Sani said Jonathan’s actions already showed serious interest.
He argued that in politics, action mattered more than public statements, adding that one of the first steps for any aspirant was to obtain a nomination form.
“In politics, what is important is action. If you are interested, there are processes you have to follow, one of which is the procurement of nomination forms. He has done that,” he said.
When pressed further on whether Jonathan had indeed obtained the form, Sani replied, “Yes and in fact, he is about to come and submit the forms publicly.”
Sani suggested that the internal crisis within the PDP may have contributed to Jonathan’s cautious approach to the 2027 race.
He said the former president may be watching developments within the party before making a formal declaration.
The PDP chieftain, however, insisted that Jonathan’s silence should not be mistaken for lack of interest.
Jonathan has in recent years stayed away from frontline partisan politics, choosing instead to play diplomatic and mediation roles within and outside Africa.
Eligibility Suit Will Fail – Says Sani
Sani also expressed confidence that the legal challenge against Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the presidency again would fail.
He argued that the matter had already been settled by previous judicial decisions and could not be reopened at the same level of court.
“We are very confident that the matter will be thrown out because you cannot relitigate something that has already been decided upon,” Sani said.
According to him, only the Supreme Court has the power to overturn earlier decisions on Jonathan’s eligibility.
He said the pending suit before Justice Peter Lifu would likely be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction when it comes up on May 26.
The former presidential aide also dismissed claims that some politicians were merely using Jonathan’s name to remain relevant ahead of the 2027 elections.
He said many Nigerians still had strong memories of Jonathan’s administration and were now comparing it with subsequent governments.
“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was not performing, but now Nigerians have seen the difference clearly,” he added.
Sani maintained that the former president still enjoys goodwill among Nigerians who believe the country was better managed under his leadership.
Jonathan’s recent consultations across political circles have continued to fuel speculation that he may be preparing for a major political comeback.
Recall that the former president served as Nigeria’s leader from 2010 to 2015 before losing his reelection bid to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since leaving office, he has largely maintained a low political profile, while engaging in peace missions, election monitoring and diplomatic assignments across Africa.