The Presidency has declared that former President Goodluck Jonathan’s “disastrous” tenure in workplace might be a serious impediment if he chooses to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Presidential Spokesperson, Mr Bayo Onanuga, made this identified in a strongly worded assertion on Monday in Abuja, reacting to claims by former Info Minister Jerry Gana that Jonathan would run below the PDP in 2027.
Onanuga dismissed Gana’s feedback as “delusional,” arguing that Nigerians will bear in mind Jonathan’s dismal report in workplace, stressing that the previous President can not stage a comeback after 12 years to defeat President Bola Tinubu.
“As we start the march in the direction of the 2027 elections prematurely foisted on the nation by the desperation of the opposition ganging up in opposition to President Bola Tinubu regardless of his evident big financial strides.”
“One latest assertion that stands out in its absurdity is Prof. Jerry Gana’s. The previous Minister of Info and Nationwide Orientation, transferring to draft former President Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race.”
“He affirmed that the previous president would contest the approaching election on the platform of the discredited PDP, which bequeathed a legacy of financial ruins, after 16 years of dangerous governance.”
“Gana even deluded himself, asserting that the previous President would defeat President Tinubu to reclaim energy after 12 years.”
Onanuga famous the courts might must rule on Jonathan’s eligibility, given he was sworn in twice as president and will face constitutional hurdles looking for a 3rd time period.
He warned Jonathan in opposition to being misled by “sugar-coated” PDP loyalists like Gana, saying their motives had been egocentric, ethnic, non secular, and political — not patriotic.
Onanuga claimed Jonathan can be deserted by the identical political elite mid-race, simply as in 2015, leaving him politically stranded once more.
He acknowledged Jonathan’s constitutional proper to run however pressured that Tinubu would welcome the problem whereas trusting the authorized system to resolve eligibility.
The presidency took goal at Jonathan’s legacy, portray a grim image of his time in workplace and accusing him of financial mismanagement and weak governance.
“Allow us to remind ourselves about Jonathan’s report. We can not neglect in a rush how his regime, devoid of any clear financial agenda, engaged in frivolous spending, ran the financial system aground and put the nation in dire straits.”
“The nation’s financial downturn, which President Tinubu is working very arduous to beat, really started below President Jonathan.”
“The Jonathan administration severely broken the financial system, and all key indicators declined below his watch.”
“Underneath him, the so-called enterprise moguls allotted overseas change to import gas, merely pocketing the {dollars} with out importing something. A few of these huge males nonetheless have court docket instances on the problem right now.”
The presidency additionally alleged large corruption throughout Jonathan’s time, significantly in safety spending, citing his former Nationwide Safety Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd).
“In 2010, President Jonathan inherited a complete of $66 billion, of which $46 billion was in overseas reserves and $20 billion within the noble-but-abused Extra Crude Account.”
“By 2015, when the individuals democratically eliminated him from workplace, the overseas reserves had fallen under $30 billion, and the Extra Crude Account had been depleted to $2 billion, regardless of producing report income from crude oil gross sales that the nation had by no means achieved in additional than 25 years mixed.”
The presidency added that from 2010 to 2013, crude oil offered for a mean of $100 per barrel, but by 2014, the federal government struggled to pay staff.
“By December 2014, nevertheless, the Jonathan-led Federal Authorities might not pay salaries to Federal Civil Servants. At the very least 28 states throughout the nation owed staff large wage arrears.”
In distinction, Onanuga mentioned Tinubu had taken daring choices to stabilise the financial system in lower than 30 months by means of subsidy elimination and change fee unification.
“The President has stabilised the financial system in barely over two years in workplace. In 2025 Q2, the Gross Home Product grew by 4.23%, the best in 4 years, outpacing the three.4% projected by the Worldwide Financial Fund.”
“Inflation decreased to twenty.12% in August 2025, the bottom degree in three years. The overseas reserves stand presently at $42.03 billion. The Naira has nearly stabilised. Investor confidence in our financial system has been restored, and traders are betting on Nigeria.”
The presidency additionally highlighted Tinubu’s achievements in infrastructure and efforts to curb insecurity throughout the nation.
Onanuga mentioned the opposition is free to contest, however Nigerians will resolve based mostly on previous data.
“President Jonathan and others are welcome to the 2027 race. They broke the financial system earlier than, however thousands and thousands of Nigerians, who won’t simply neglect the latest previous, won’t enable them to return and run it down once more.”
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