**The Presidency Attacks Goodluck Jonathan’s Record, Challenges Him to Contest Against Tinubu in 2027**
The presidency on Monday launched a fierce attack on the record of former President Goodluck Jonathan, describing his performance in office as disastrous. Presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga issued a statement challenging the former president to contest against incumbent President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Mr. Onanuga’s statement was partly a response to efforts by former minister Jerry Gana to draft Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race on the platform of the former ruling party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). PREMIUM TIMES reports that although Mr. Jonathan has not declared any intention to run for a second term, some politicians, including Mr. Gana, have publicly urged him to do so.
The presidency, however, did not wait for any formal declaration from Mr. Jonathan before critiquing his record in office. “Let us remind ourselves about Jonathan’s record. We cannot forget in a hurry how his regime, devoid of any clear economic agenda, engaged in frivolous spending, ran the economy aground, and put the country in dire straits,” Mr. Onanuga stated.
He further questioned Mr. Jonathan’s eligibility for another term, noting, “But Jonathan will have his date in the court of the land. Indeed, the jury will determine whether Jonathan, who was sworn in twice as president, satisfies the constitutional requirements and is eligible to contest the presidency and be sworn in, if successful, for a third term in office.”
For context, Mr. Jonathan was first sworn in as president in 2010 to complete the term of late President Umaru Yar’Adua. He then won the 2011 election and served a full term before losing re-election to late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.
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### Full Statement by Bayo Onanuga
**Former President Jonathan is Welcome to the Race — Nigerians Will Remember His Dismal Record in Office**
As the nation embarks on the path towards the 2027 elections, which have been prematurely foisted on us due to the opposition’s desperation to unseat President Bola Tinubu despite his significant economic achievements, we are again treated to a cacophony of voices. Most are full of sound and fury, signifying little, to paraphrase William Shakespeare’s *Macbeth*.
One such statement that stands out for its absurdity is from Professor Jerry Gana, the former Minister of Information and National Orientation, who is attempting to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race. Gana claims Jonathan would run under the banner of the discredited PDP, a party that bequeathed a legacy of economic ruin after 16 years of bad governance. He even opines that Jonathan would defeat President Tinubu to reclaim power after 12 years.
Professor Gana, known for his involvement in the now-defunct MAMSER program, is free to imagine such scenarios and engage in what can only be described as political theatrics. Jonathan’s potential entry into the race would admittedly offer another role for the Niger State-born former university don.
However, we must caution former President Jonathan to beware of the PDP’s sugar-coated cheerleaders. Politicians like Jerry Gana often aim to lure him into the race to serve their personal, political, religious, and ethnic agendas. They abandoned him midstream in 2015 and are likely to do so again, leaving the “Gentleman Jonathan” in the lurch.
Make no mistake: President Jonathan has the right to contest if he wishes—it is his inalienable right. President Tinubu welcomes him wholeheartedly should he enter the race. But Jonathan will have his day in court. The jury will determine whether he, having been sworn in twice as president, meets the constitutional requirements to contest and be sworn in for what would effectively be a third term.
Beyond constitutional questions, Jonathan will also face the verdict of the Nigerian people, who will decide if he has anything new to offer after the six years during which he was decisively voted out in 2015.
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### Reflecting on Jonathan’s Record
Let us recall Jonathan’s tenure. It is hard to forget how his administration, lacking a clear economic agenda, engaged in frivolous spending, ran the national economy aground, and plunged Nigeria into dire economic straits. The economic downturn Nigeria faces today, which President Tinubu is working tirelessly to reverse, actually began under Jonathan’s watch.
Under Jonathan’s administration, critical economic indicators deteriorated. His government was marred by corruption and mismanagement, including allocating foreign exchange for fuel imports to so-called business moguls who pocketed the dollars without importing fuel. Many involved in these scams still face court cases.
Jonathan and his National Security Adviser, Colonel Sambo Dasuki (rtd), freely distributed security funds to friends and cronies, exacerbating governance issues.
In 2010, Jonathan inherited $66 billion—$46 billion in foreign reserves and $20 billion in the Excess Crude Account. By 2015, when Nigerians voted him out, foreign reserves had plummeted to below $30 billion, and the Excess Crude Account was nearly depleted at $2 billion. This decline occurred despite record crude oil revenues in that period, with prices averaging about $100 per barrel from 2010 to 2013.
By December 2014, the Jonathan-led government struggled to pay federal civil servants’ salaries, and at least 28 states owed workers significant salary arrears.
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### Comparing to President Tinubu’s Economic Reforms
In contrast, President Tinubu has taken bold and decisive actions in the past 28 months to reset the economy. His administration removed the ruinous fuel subsidy and abolished multiple exchange rates that previously encouraged arbitrage.
His efforts have stabilized the economy:
– Nigeria’s GDP grew by 4.23% in Q2 2025, the highest in four years, surpassing the 3.4% projection by the International Monetary Fund.
– Inflation fell to 20.12% in August 2025, the lowest in three years.
– Foreign reserves currently stand at $42.03 billion.
– The Nigerian Naira has stabilized.
– Investor confidence has been restored, attracting new investments.
The nation is visibly turning a corner, and Nigerians are beginning to reap the benefits of the Tinubu administration’s reforms.
Infrastructure development is picking up, with many roads being reconstructed or newly constructed, including the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the Sokoto-Badagry Highway. The government is also addressing security challenges in various parts of the country.
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### Conclusion
We could list many more macroeconomic achievements of the Tinubu administration, but the key point remains: the PDP and Jerry Gana’s cohort broke the economy, and President Tinubu is fixing it.
President Jonathan and others are welcome to enter the 2027 race. But millions of Nigerians who still remember the painful recent past will not allow those who broke the economy before to return and run it down again.
*Bayo Onanuga*
Special Adviser to the President (Information & Strategy)
https://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/824670-2027-presidency-attacks-jonathan-says-hes-welcome-to-challenge-tinubu.html