Jonathan Under Pressure to drop 2027 Presidential Bid

Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly facing mounting pressure from political figures in the Niger Delta to abandon his rumored 2027 presidential ambition and support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Sources disclosed that prominent Niger Delta leaders, including former militant commander Chief Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, are leading efforts to persuade the former president to withdraw from the race.

According to information obtained, Tompolo, accompanied by the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, Chief Kestin Pondi, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa election, Joshua Maciver, met with Jonathan at his residence in Otuoke, Bayelsa State, on October 16.

During the meeting, which was said to have been political in nature, the delegation urged Jonathan to forgo any plans of contesting against President Tinubu in 2027. They reportedly told him that the mood across the Niger Delta region did not support his return to power and that many of his kinsmen preferred continuity under Tinubu.

Tompolo, who also leads the PBAT Door-2-Door Movement—an initiative promoting Tinubu’s re-election—was said to have informed Jonathan that running against the president could cost him the backing of his home region.Insiders revealed that Jonathan listened carefully to the appeal and expressed appreciation for the visit, promising to reflect on the advice before making his political decision public.

After the closed-door meeting, Jonathan told reporters that the visit was primarily to discuss peace and stability in the Niger Delta, but he neither confirmed nor denied any political discussions.

The development comes amid growing political maneuvering ahead of the 2027 general elections, with several groups and regional blocs aligning early in support of Tinubu’s second-term ambition.