Former Kaduna Central lawmaker, Senator Shehu Sani, has advised ex-President Goodluck Jonathan not to seek a return to power in the 2027 presidential election, warning that the political terrain has shifted significantly since Jonathan’s last outing. His remarks come amid growing speculation about Jonathan’s possible candidacy, especially in light of debates around a one-term Southern presidency and the formation of a new opposition coalition spearheaded by the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Sani said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the platform on which Jonathan won the presidency in 2011, is no longer the formidable force it once was. According to him, internal divisions and defections have weakened the party, leaving it unable to provide the kind of support Jonathan previously enjoyed.
“Each time there is an election, Jonathan’s name comes up. While it is within his right to contest, I advise him not to,” Sani said. “The PDP he used to know is not the same PDP today. In the South-West, some party members are endorsing the president, while others are in the new coalition. It is no longer the same structure he relied on in the past, so he shouldn’t waste his time.”
The former senator also cast doubt on the strength of the emerging opposition coalition, arguing that its members lack ideological direction and are not significantly different from President Bola Tinubu’s political camp. He noted that while democracy allows for the formation of opposition blocs, groups driven solely by the desire to unseat the ruling party without offering alternative policies lack credibility.
“The people in this coalition are not ideologically or philosophically different from the programmes of the Tinubu administration,” Sani added. “It’s not like we are dealing with opposing ideologies such as Marxism and Capitalism. Their policies, from subsidy removal to devaluation, mirror the same liberal values already in play. Without a distinct agenda, such a coalition cannot inspire meaningful change.”
