2027 Politics: Farotimi Warns Against Bringing Back Jonathan

Frontline lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi, has criticized ongoing speculations about former President Goodluck Jonathan contesting the 2027 presidential election, saying attempts to “rebrand” him are nothing but a recycling of failure.

In an interview with Channels Television, Farotimi argued that those pushing for Jonathan’s return are offering false hope to Nigerians, reminding the public that the Bayelsa-born politician was voted out of office in 2015 for valid reasons.

“This was the same Goodluck Ebele Jonathan who was vilified and labeled. The press, the pulpits, the mosques – everyone said removing Jonathan would solve Nigeria’s problems. But here we are, ten years later, going back to the same past we once rejected,” Farotimi said.

He stressed that replacing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with Jonathan would not solve Nigeria’s challenges, as the problems are rooted in the country’s broken systems rather than individuals.

According to him, focusing on personalities instead of building strong institutions is why Nigeria keeps recycling leaders without progress.

“Even if Tinubu is removed today, nothing will change if the evil system remains in place. We are not looking for saviours; it’s about building systems and building a country,” he emphasized.

Farotimi dismissed the idea that Jonathan could suddenly become a “saviour” in 2027 after being rejected in 2015.

“How do you rebrand the failure of 2015 into a saint and a saviour in 2025? They want to bring Goodluck Jonathan because it feels like the safe option. But Nigerians should be asking: what exactly is he offering this time that’s different?”

Jonathan and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) lost the 2015 election to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and former President Muhammadu Buhari, a defeat many saw as the end of his political era.

Now, with whispers of his possible comeback, Farotimi has urged Nigerians to think beyond personalities and instead focus on demanding reforms that strengthen governance, accountability, and national development.