Former President Goodluck Jonathan has assured the leadership of the Peoples Democratic Party that he will take a more active role in the party’s activities and affairs as it prepares for the 2027 general elections, according to the party’s National Chairman, Tanimu Turaki.
Turaki disclosed this on Tuesday evening while addressing journalists after a closed-door meeting with the former president at his Maitama office in Abuja. The PDP chairman arrived at approximately 5:45 pm alongside the entire National Working Committee, former governors, founding fathers, and selected state chairmen in a convoy of six SUVs. The meeting, which lasted about one hour and thirty minutes, was described as crucial for the party’s repositioning efforts.
Speaking in the company of other party leaders after the engagement, Turaki revealed that Jonathan had reaffirmed his commitment to the PDP despite ongoing speculation about his political future.
“We came this evening to visit one of our very important leaders, former President of Nigeria, President Ebele Jonathan, first, to introduce members of the newly elected National Working Committee to him, and then to tell him what we have been doing since our election at the National Convention held last November in Ibadan,” Turaki said.
“We briefed him on the state of the party, the challenges, and the prospects. On this visit, we were accompanied by former governors, members of the Board of Trustees, founding fathers and founding mothers, the Forum of State Chairmen, in addition to other leaders of the party, including former ministers of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”
The PDP chairman said the party leadership had solicited Jonathan’s support, guidance, and advice as it navigates a turbulent period marked by internal divisions and legal battles.
“We received his assurance that he is still a card-carrying member of the Peoples Democratic Party, remains active, and will be even more active in the activities and affairs of the PDP,” Turaki revealed. “He also assured us that the PDP has done everything for him that can be done for an individual and that he still feels obligated to the party. His remarks and statements were not only reassuring but very encouraging as we prepare for off-season elections in Ekiti and Osun this year, as well as the 2027 general elections.”
The assurance from Jonathan comes against the backdrop of reports that emerged in some major media outlets last year suggesting the former president might seek re-election in 2027. However, Jonathan has neither confirmed nor denied those reports, maintaining a studied silence on his political intentions even as speculation continues to mount.
When pressed by journalists about the specific recommendations Jonathan had offered for resolving the party’s ongoing crisis, Turaki declined to make them public but assured that the former president had provided valuable suggestions that would be acted upon accordingly.
The PDP chairman reaffirmed the party’s status as Nigeria’s strongest and most credible opposition platform, insisting that the new leadership was committed to returning the party to the people.
“We remain the leading opposition party in this country, and this new leadership of the PDP is taking the party back to the people, who are the true owners of the party. In doing so, there will be a level playing field, inclusivity, and an end to impunity,” Turaki stated.
“We will not allow people to take what does not belong to them. We will listen to Nigerians. Whatever Nigerians want is what we will give them. Whatever Nigerians want is what they will have as far as this leadership is concerned. This is the party that belongs to the Nigerian people, and that is why we are called the Peoples Democratic Party.”
Speaking in his capacity as a senior lawyer, Turaki said he had briefed Jonathan on the details of various legal matters currently before the Court of Appeal and the prospects for the party’s position. He emphasised that while the party remained committed to defending itself in court, not every political disagreement should end up in litigation.
“Even when you win a war, you must still win the battle. I believe not every political disagreement should go to court. However, all the cases before the courts were instituted against the PDP, not by the PDP. We have a responsibility to defend the party,” the chairman explained.
“After the legal processes, we will still engage those who show remorse and willingness to remain loyal party members. When we were sworn in, we stated clearly that we would reach out to all aggrieved members. We need all hands on deck for the task ahead. We will sit down with those genuinely interested in reconciliation. We will reconcile and move forward together as one big PDP family.”
All attempts to get Jonathan to comment on the meeting or state his views on the issues discussed were unsuccessful, as the former president merely escorted his visitors out and returned inside shortly afterwards, maintaining the discretion that has characterised his public appearances in recent years.
Among those present at the high-level meeting were former Niger State Governor Babangida Aliyu, former Minister of Information and National Orientation and PDP founding father Professor Jerry Gana, National Secretary Taofeek Arapaja, National Publicity Secretary Ini Ememobong, and Deputy National Secretary Richard Ihediwa.
The engagement with Jonathan is part of a broader consultation strategy by the Turaki-led leadership to rally support from party elders and statesmen as it seeks to consolidate control and resolve the deepening crisis threatening the PDP’s unity ahead of crucial electoral contests.
The PDP has been engulfed in a bitter leadership dispute following the November 16 convention in Ibadan where Turaki and other members of the National Working Committee were elected for a four-year tenure. While PDP governors had approved the convention and oversaw a smooth transition from former Chairman Umar Damagum to Turaki ahead of the official expiration of Damagum’s tenure on December 9, a rival faction has emerged to challenge the legitimacy of the new leadership.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, alongside his allies Mohammed Abdulrahman and Senator Anyanwu, have maintained that they continue to occupy the offices of Acting National Chairman and Acting National Secretary respectively. On December 8, the Wike-aligned faction proceeded to constitute a 13-member caretaker committee, naming Mohammed, Anyanwu and others, with a 60-day mandate.
Since then, both factions have been seeking official recognition from the Independent National Electoral Commission, creating a situation of confusion and uncertainty. As a result, INEC has declined to recognise any individual as the PDP candidate for the Ekiti election, dealing a significant blow to the party’s prospects in the forthcoming off-season polls.
Several lawsuits challenging the PDP’s national leadership are currently pending before different courts at various levels, further complicating the party’s internal dynamics and threatening its capacity to present a united front against the ruling All Progressives Congress.
Despite these developments, the Turaki-led National Working Committee has continued consultations with elder statesmen over the crisis. Beyond Jonathan, the committee has also held meetings with former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former Military President Ibrahim Babangida, and former Minister of Defence, T. Y. Danjuma, as part of efforts to mobilise support and forge a path toward reconciliation.
The PDP’s internal turmoil represents a significant setback for Nigeria’s main opposition party, which has struggled to recover its footing since losing power in the 2015 general elections. The party, which dominated Nigerian politics from 1999 to 2015, has been plagued by persistent factional disputes, defections, and electoral losses in recent years.
Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, remains one of the PDP’s most influential figures despite his relatively low political profile since leaving office. His decision to take a more active role in party affairs could prove crucial to the PDP’s efforts to rebuild unity and mount a credible challenge in the 2027 elections.
The former president’s political future has been the subject of intense speculation, particularly after constitutional interpretations emerged suggesting he could legally contest the presidency again, having served only one full term after completing the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. However, Jonathan has maintained a carefully guarded silence on the matter, neither encouraging nor dismissing the speculation.
