A pro-democracy group, the South East Coalition for Good Governance (SECG), has urged former President Goodluck Jonathan to abandon any ambition of contesting the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move could damage the reputation and goodwill he has built since leaving office.
The group’s position follows the emergence of Jonathan as the presidential candidate of a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) reportedly led by former Minister of Special Duties, Tamini Turaki, a development that has reignited debate over the former president’s political future.
In a statement issued in Enugu and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Uche Eberendu, the coalition said Jonathan should resist pressure from political actors seeking to drag him back into partisan politics for their personal interests.
According to the group, while the former president possesses the constitutional right to seek elective office, exercising that right at this stage of his public life would not necessarily serve either his personal legacy or the broader interests of Nigeria’s democracy.
SECG argued that Jonathan no longer stands a realistic chance of winning a presidential election in the current political climate, maintaining that participation in a race he is unlikely to win could erode the respect and admiration he presently enjoys across the country and beyond.
The coalition noted that Jonathan’s acceptance of defeat in the 2015 presidential election elevated his stature internationally and transformed him into a symbol of democratic maturity, peace and statesmanship in Africa.
“Dr. Jonathan has earned global recognition as a democrat and elder statesman. Contesting and losing another presidential election could diminish the moral authority and prestige he currently commands in Nigeria and abroad,” the statement said.
The group further observed that the former president has become one of Africa’s most respected election observers, frequently leading and participating in international election-monitoring missions across the continent and other parts of the world.
Rather than seeking a return to power, SECG advised Jonathan to devote his energy to strengthening democratic institutions, promoting electoral reforms and encouraging political leaders to embrace credible, free and fair elections.
The coalition concluded that history has already been kind to the former president and urged him to protect what it described as his “hard-earned democratic credentials,” insisting that his greatest contribution to Nigeria at this moment lies in statesmanship, mediation and democratic advocacy rather than another presidential contest.
