The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has dismissed suggestions that former President Goodluck Jonathan could return to power in 2027, mocking the idea as unrealistic and politically unserious.
APC spokesman Seye Oladejo issued the party’s response in a statement on Tuesday, September 30, following remarks by Professor Jerry Gana at the PDP Niger State Congress in Minna, where he declared Jonathan as a potential presidential contender.
Oladejo described the declaration as political theatre, insisting that Jonathan’s era had passed and that Nigerians were more focused on the future than on recycled leaders.
“Indeed, if he chooses to run, President Jonathan will need more than an overdose of good luck to stand a chance. The landmines before him are numerous – legal, past records, and fundamental questions of capacity,” he said.
He added that elections were meant to be contests of ideas, competence, and delivery, not nostalgia.
“Prof. Gana’s certainty that a particular individual will be the PDP candidate or that Nigerians are clamouring for a return to the past is premature and political theatre.
“We acknowledge and appreciate Prof. Gana’s sense of humour, which may be entertaining but is out of place in serious political discourse.”
Oladejo also took a swipe at Gana, questioning his political relevance.
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“It may also be interesting to interrogate his continued relevance, having been around the corridors of power forever without leaving behind any remarkable legacy of transformation or notable accomplishments,” he said.
The APC spokesman argued that Gana’s declaration showed the PDP’s disregard for internal democracy, unlike the APC, which he claimed maintained a transparent process of candidate selection.
He warned that the PDP was heating up the polity by making pronouncements before the electoral umpire lifted the ban on campaigns.
“The PDP and other opposition parties appear to be working towards already pre-determined ends as far as their presidential candidates are concerned,” Oladejo noted.
He stressed that the Tinubu administration was focused on reforms to stabilise the economy, attract investment, and improve the lives of Nigerians, while opposition parties were recycling old rhetoric.
“The APC in Lagos calls on all political actors – including the PDP and its chieftains – to desist from divisive nostalgia and instead present clear, implementable programmes for the challenges Nigerians actually face,” Oladejo said.
He challenged the PDP to present Jonathan’s policies if it truly considered him a solution, rather than hyping his name.
“We will continue to work across Lagos and Nigeria to promote pragmatic governance, development and inclusion – and to hold all parties to account for promises made to Nigerians,” he added.