Former President Goodluck Jonathan may be heading back into Nigeria’s presidential race after a member of the House of Representatives, Fred Agbedi, declared that the former leader would contest the 2027 election.
Agbedi made the statement on Wednesday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he spoke on the ongoing political developments ahead of the next general election.
According to the lawmaker, Jonathan is preparing to run under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
“Former President Goodluck Jonathan is running for election with the Peoples Democratic Party, whichever way you want to put it,” Agbedi said during the interview.
The federal lawmaker also raised concerns over the activities of a political group he identified as the PDAPC. He accused the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, of continuing to recognise the group despite court rulings against it.
“The PDAPC is promoting certain professors and INEC officials as observers for their election. However, the PDAPC is not recognised by law, and it seems that INEC is intentionally keeping them involved,” he stated.
Agbedi further claimed that the group had earlier been disqualified through decisions of both the Appeal Court and the Supreme Court, but alleged that the electoral commission had refused to fully comply with the judgments.
“You recall the decisions made by the Appeal Court and Supreme Court. The party has contacted INEC and sent reminders stating that the PDAPC is not recognised based on the court’s ruling, yet INEC is still holding onto them,” he added.
The latest development comes amid increasing political discussions surrounding Jonathan’s possible return to active politics ahead of the 2027 presidential election.
Earlier this month, a Federal High Court sitting in Abuja ruled that the former president remains eligible to contest the presidency.
Justice Peter Lifu, who delivered the judgment on Tuesday, dismissed attempts to stop Jonathan from seeking another term in office.
The suit was filed by Johnmary Jideobi, who asked the court to bar the former president from contesting under any political party in 2027.
Jideobi argued that Jonathan had already taken the oath of office twice as president and should therefore be ineligible for another term under the Nigerian Constitution.
However, the court held that Jonathan’s first tenure, which came after the death of former President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua in 2010, did not prevent him from seeking election again.
The ruling has since fueled fresh conversations within the PDP and across the country over the possibility of Jonathan making a political comeback nearly twelve years after leaving office.
Last week, a faction of the PDP reportedly led by Kabiru Tanimu Turaki also granted Jonathan a waiver to contest the presidency under the party’s platform.
