Former Jigawa State Governor and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain, Sule Lamido, has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan to stay away from the growing calls urging him to contest the 2027 presidential election.
As political alignments gather pace ahead of the next general election, Lamido described attempts to draft Jonathan back into partisan politics as misplaced, warning that such moves could diminish the former president’s standing as a respected elder statesman.
In a statement shared on his Facebook page on Wednesday, Lamido said Jonathan has moved beyond the stage of active political battles and should not be drawn into what he described as Nigeria’s increasingly troubled political environment.
“It is unfair and ill-opportune to drag his person into the current murky political arena populated by unserious, self-seeking and self-serving characters,” Lamido stated.
The former governor argued that Jonathan now occupies a unique position both within Nigeria and internationally as a former leader whose reputation should be protected rather than exposed to partisan conflicts and power struggles.
According to him, many of the renewed calls for Jonathan’s return are rooted more in public frustration with Nigeria’s political and economic situation than in any clear political ideology or national agenda.
“The call for President Jonathan to hop into the political arena, no matter how well-intentioned, stems from the helplessness and hopelessness Nigeria has found itself in,” he wrote.
Lamido further described the pressure on Jonathan as a “desperation call”, urging the former president not to be swayed by what he called “ego-caressing” appeals from political actors and supporters seeking to leverage his popularity ahead of 2027.
“While the call is appreciated, it is a desperation call lacking in any depth beyond being a ventilator of frustration,” he added.
The PDP stalwart also took a swipe at the current state of political parties in the country, saying many lack clear ideological direction and are driven largely by the struggle for power ahead of the next election cycle.
He maintained that Jonathan remains an important national figure whose future contributions to Nigeria should be approached with caution and dignity, rather than hurried political calculations tied to the 2027 contest.
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