The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has reacted to the increasing speculations surrounding the possible return of former President Goodluck Jonathan to the 2027 presidential race. Jonathan, who lost his re-election bid in 2025 to the late President Muhammadu Buhari, is currently being persuaded by supporters to seek re-election in the 2027 general elections.
Reacting, the party’s spokesman, Mr Seye Oladejo, said that the former president does not have the political relevance to unseat President Bola Tinubu in 2027.
According to him, even though GEJ deserves praise for his role in the peaceful democratic transition 10 years ago, Nigeria has grown beyond the politics of sentiment and nostalgia.
He stated that the country clearly needs bold and capable leadership henceforth, and it’ll take more than good luck to deliver that.
“While we acknowledge the former president’s role in the peaceful democratic transition of 2015 — an act that rightly earned him praise at home and abroad — we must state, in clear terms, that Nigeria has since moved beyond the politics of sentiment, nostalgia, and symbolism.
The challenges of today and the future require bold, capable, and forward-thinking leadership — not a return to the comfort of a past that was far from perfect.
Let it be clear: good luck alone is not a governance strategy,” he said.
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He further alleged that the GEJ government, from 2010 to 2015, left behind a country struggling with corruption, insecurity and economic crisis.
He concluded by saying that the future of the country does not lie in recycled leadership, but in visionary governance.
“While some may look back on those years with rose-tinted glasses, we must remind ourselves that nostalgia is not a policy platform.
Emotion cannot drive economic reform, and sentimentality will not fix power generation, insecurity, youth unemployment, or education sector decay.
Moreover, the former president’s political relevance has been complicated by his recent engagements across party lines.
His flirtation with the APC and absence from PDP’s strategic rebuilding efforts raise questions about his loyalty, clarity of vision, and political intentions.
We believe the future of Nigeria does not lie in recycled leadership but in visionary governance rooted in integrity, innovation, and resilience.
Former President Jonathan remains a respected elder statesman. His legacy as a peaceful democrat is assured. But legacies are not manifestoes, and nostalgia is not governance.
We urge Nigerians to reject emotional shortcuts and stay focused on the need for capable, accountable and transformative leadership.
As 2027 approaches, let us not reach backwards in desperation, but move forward with courage and clarity,” he added.
