By George Onmonya Daniel
As political parties and politicians are preparing for 2027 showdown in Nigeria, one odd name seems to have joined the list of people being called out to come and rescue Nigeria, and that is former President Goodluck Jonathan.
Over these years, Goodluck Jonathan, once termed incompetent, has become the man some people are rooting for to take Nigeria to the promised land. Of all the places this call is coming from, it is unbelievable that it is coming from the Muslim-North. This is the place where he was blatantly rejected in 2011 and in 2015.
In 2011, after Buhari lost to Jonathan in the presidential election, Buhari supporters resorted to mayhem, launching at attack on Christians and Southerners in which hundreds were killed and properties worth hundreds of millions destroyed. In 2015, when the same Goodluck lost to Buhari, there was an uproar of celebration across Buhari’s stronghold of Muslim-North like no one has seen in Nigeria. However, after 8 years of Buhari’s misgovernance that impoverished the poor and the middle class, 8 years that insecurity became unbearable as Fulani herdsmen attacks and killing skyrocketed and Buhari looked the other way because they were his tribesmen, and more, his supported got disenchanted and started apologising to Goodluck Jonathan. It was a thing on social media, but how social media influences us nowadays can not be underestimated.
Today, many people in Muslim-Nigeria think Goodluck Jonathan should be the right candidate to contest from the South. On the contrary, most Southern Nigerians and people from the Middle Belt who supported Goodluck Jonathan when he was president do not buy the idea of Goodluck Jonathan contesting the presidential election again. Most of them want him to keep his good name intact and let it go. Some of them believe that Goodluck Jonathan doesn’t have much to offer. Others believe those sponsoring the people asking him to come out and contest are power mongers who think if Peter Obi wins, he will go for 8 years instead of 4, thereby Southern Nigerian spending 12 years in power instead of 8 years.
Some supporters of Goodluck Jonathan from the North are saying that Goodluck Jonathan and Sure Lamido, former governor of Jigawa State, would be a perfect combination. The Goodluck Jonathan and Sule Lamido option is everywhere.
Goodluck Jonathan has not come out to address the public, making many assume he may be mulling the idea. Even though Patience Jonathan has said somewhere that her husband is loyal to President Tinubu and will not contest election, the call for him to contest, whether genuine or sponsored seem to be getting louder and stronger.
