Wike says he has no evidence Jonathan wants to contest the 2027 presidential election.
He dismisses rumors and insists only direct communication can confirm Jonathan’s political plans.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says he has received no indication from former President Goodluck Jonathan about any intention to join the 2027 presidential contest.
Wike, who spoke during a media session in Abuja on Friday, October 24, addressed growing speculation that Jonathan was being lobbied to re-enter national politics. He made it clear that such claims have never been directly communicated to him by the former leader.
According to Wike, suggestions appearing in newspapers are not enough reason to believe Jonathan is considering a comeback. He explained that if Jonathan were genuinely exploring the idea, he would personally seek his counsel. “If he ever reaches out to ask for my view, that is when I will say what I truly think,” he remarked.
Responding to the reported endorsement of former Minister of Special Duties, Kabiru Tanimu Turaki (SAN), as a consensus candidate for the National Chairmanship of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Wike distanced himself from the process. He argued that the development does not align with the party’s established structure.
He hinted that the planned national convention during which Turaki is expected to be ratified lacks legitimacy. Wike suggested he has no intention of taking part in an exercise he believes does not meet legal requirements. He questioned how anyone could expect his participation in “a convention that, in my view, does not satisfy what the law demands.”
His comments come as reports indicate that Jonathan is under pressure from some political figures to abandon any 2027 ambition and back President Bola Tinubu’s second-term bid instead.
