• Supporters reportedly met abroad to shore up PDP support and “handle” Nyesom Wike, sources say.
• First Lady Patience Jonathan publicly backed President Tinubu’s re-election and said she wants peace.
Former President Goodluck Jonathan is pressing ahead with plans to contest the 2027 presidential election despite public disapproval from his wife, Patience Jonathan, OBSERVERS TIMES report
At an Abuja event in May 2025 where she received a Women Icon Leader of the Year Award, Mrs. Jonathan lamented the stresses of public life and appeared to rule out a return to the presidency. “The distress of Nigeria is so much that if God manages to bring you out of it, you should glorify Him. Why do you want to go back there? I need peace. My peace is enough,” she said, later declaring her support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and pledging to campaign for his re‑election.
Sources close to the former president told Daily Sun that Mrs. Jonathan’s position has not deterred him. Insiders say his camp has intensified moves to secure the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket, including meetings held outside Nigeria to avoid detection and interference from pro‑government operatives.
Those meetings, the paper was told, focused on consolidating support within the PDP and devising strategies to manage what Jonathan’s backers call the “Nyesom Wike problem.” The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, recently advised Jonathan to forgo a presidential run and to preserve his legacy as a statesman, accusing some promoters of Jonathan’s candidacy of hypocrisy and betrayal.
“Wike’s opposition cannot be taken lightly and that is why some of our meetings have been about how to ensure he does not become a stumbling block,” a source privy to the discussions said.
Daily Sun reports that Jonathan has tasked his supporters in the PDP — led by Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed — to steady his base and prevent defections that could weaken his bid. The paper says the campaign successfully persuaded Bayelsa Governor Duoye Diri not to defect to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), a move that would have dented the PDP’s stability in the South‑South region.
When asked about his wife’s public disapproval, a member of Jonathan’s inner circle downplayed its significance, noting Mrs. Jonathan opposed some of his earlier political moves without preventing them. The camp also moved quickly to counter claims that Jonathan is ineligible to run because he has been sworn in as president twice, publishing a court judgment they say affirms his constitutional right to contest.
OBSERVERS TIMES recalled that ex-President Jonathan has not publicly commented on his 2027 plans since Mrs. Jonathan’s May statement.
