As Former President Backs Free Elections But Withholds Endorsement
Former President Goodluck Jonathan has told a delegation of South-East leaders led by former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi that Nigeria cannot be turned into a one-party state, expressing his wish for free, fair, and credible elections in 2027, during a closed-door meeting at his Abuja residence on Monday evening that forms part of the intensifying opposition consultations following Saturday’s historic Ibadan summit where opposition parties agreed to field a single presidential candidate.
Obi, who described the discussions as “frank and thoughtful,” said the meeting was focused on the urgent need to reposition Nigeria on the path of unity, security, stability, productivity, and inclusive governance. However, he clarified that the visit was a consultation rather than an endorsement request, stating he would return for endorsement once he becomes a confirmed candidate.
“We are not talking about an endorsement yet. When I become a candidate, I’ll come back for endorsement. He wishes the country well. We are here to consult with him,” Obi told journalists after the meeting.
Obi disclosed that Jonathan expressed strong support for multi-party democracy and opposition to any attempt to create a one-party system in Nigeria.
“He wished that we have a free, fair, credible election. That would be his wish. There can’t be a one-party system. He cannot support such a thing,” Obi stated, relaying Jonathan’s position.
Obi praised Jonathan’s democratic credentials in characteristically emphatic terms: “Nobody can claim to be more of a democrat in this country without putting him as number one. He served the country faithfully and he was a democrat.”
The reference to Jonathan’s democratic record carries particular weight given that Jonathan is widely remembered for conceding defeat in the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari, a concession that was hailed internationally as a landmark moment for democracy in Africa. His congratulatory phone call to Buhari before the official results were announced became a defining moment of peaceful democratic transition in Nigeria.
The delegation that accompanied Obi to Jonathan’s residence included prominent South-East leaders, Igbo elders, and ADC senators from the South-East zone.
Among those present were former Enugu State Governor Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo, former Imo State Governor Achike Udenwa, former Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission Chief Onyema Ugochukwu, Senator Victor Umeh, and other political associates.
The composition of the delegation, combining elder statesmen from the South-East with serving senators who have aligned with the ADC, reflects Obi’s effort to present his 2027 project as a regional consensus backed by the Igbo political establishment rather than a personal ambition.
Obi placed the Jonathan meeting within a broader pattern of consultations with former heads of state, positioning them as elder statesmen and father figures whose counsel is being sought as the opposition prepares for 2027.
“We are now seeing him in the categories we have come to see former President Olusegun Obasanjo, former President Ibrahim Babangida and others. So that is the category we are seeing now,” Obi explained.
“They are fathers now. They are not defecting. They are not involved. But we need to consult them, because especially someone like him who served the country very faithfully, focused, and did what is expected in a democracy in this declining situation,” Obi stated.
The framing is strategic. By describing former presidents as non-partisan “fathers” being consulted rather than recruited, Obi avoids the political complications that would arise from claiming any former president’s active support while still benefiting from the legitimacy that their audience confers.
The reference to having already consulted Obasanjo and Babangida suggests a systematic outreach to Nigeria’s former leaders, building a narrative of broad-based consultation that transcends party, region, and generation.
The meeting with Jonathan came just two days after the National Opposition Summit in Ibadan hosted by Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, where opposition parties including the ADC, a faction of the PDP, the NNPP, and the Labour Party agreed to field a single presidential candidate for 2027.
The Ibadan Declaration resolved to “work towards fielding one presidential candidate for the 2027 elections, which shall be agreed and supported by all participating opposition parties to rescue our nation and her long-suffering masses.”
The summit also demanded the removal of INEC Chairman Amupitan, called for the extension of the primaries deadline to the end of July 2026, and urged the National Assembly to review the Electoral Act 2026.
Obi’s visit to Jonathan, bringing South-East leaders to consult with a former president from the South-South, can be read as a continuation of the coalition-building that the Ibadan summit initiated, extending the conversation from opposition party leaders to the elder statesmen who, while no longer active in partisan politics, retain enormous influence over public opinion and political direction.
The ADC Vanguard, described as the mobilisation wing of the African Democratic Congress coalition, posted videos and photographs of the meeting on X, describing the discussions as “high-level and focused on the possibility of opposition parties presenting a single presidential candidate for 2027.”
In his post on X following the meeting, Obi articulated his vision for the 2027 elections in terms that went beyond partisan competition.
“At a time when our nation continues to grapple with economic hardship, rising insecurity, and deepening social divisions, it has become imperative that leaders across regions come together to reflect, consult, and act in the overall interest of the Nigerian people,” Obi stated.
He stressed the kind of leadership Nigeria needs: “Nigeria today requires leadership that is guided not by personal ambition, but by competence, character, capacity, and compassion. Governance is not about sharing what is left, but about creating what is needed.”
He reiterated his consistent theme of economic transformation: “Nigeria must transition from a consumption-driven economy to a production-driven one where its vast human and natural resources are harnessed for the common good.”
And he framed the 2027 elections as more than a political contest: “The 2027 elections must not just be seen as another political exercise, but as a critical opportunity to reset the trajectory of our country. It must be about the Nigerian child who deserves quality education, the struggling entrepreneur who needs a conducive environment to thrive, and the millions of citizens who simply desire a secure and functional nation.”
Obi was careful to distinguish between consultation and endorsement, a distinction that reflects both political prudence and the reality that the opposition has not yet determined who its single candidate will be.
“We are not talking about an endorsement yet. When I become a candidate, I’ll come back for endorsement,” Obi stated.
The qualification is significant because Obi is one of several figures who could potentially emerge as the opposition’s consensus candidate. Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, former Kano Governor Rabiu Kwankwaso, former Transport Minister Rotimi Amaechi, and ADC presidential aspirant Mohammed Hayatu-Deen are all part of the opposition coalition, each with their own ambitions and constituencies.
Seeking endorsement from Jonathan before the question of candidacy is settled would be premature and potentially counterproductive. By framing the visit as a consultation, Obi preserves the possibility of returning for endorsement if and when he secures the opposition’s ticket, while avoiding the impression that he is attempting to lock in support before the coalition has made its decision.
Jonathan occupies a unique position in Nigeria’s political landscape. As the last PDP president and the man who peacefully handed over power to the APC in 2015, he is respected across political lines as a democrat who prioritised national stability over personal power.
His statement that Nigeria “can’t be a one-party system” and his wish for “free, fair, credible elections” carry moral authority precisely because he demonstrated his commitment to these principles through action rather than merely words.
His decision to receive the Obi-led delegation, listen to their concerns, and express support for democratic principles without committing to any specific candidate or party reflects the role of an elder statesman who remains relevant to the national conversation without being actively partisan.
For the opposition, Jonathan’s willingness to receive their consultations and his expression of support for multi-party democracy and free elections provides a moral endorsement of their project even without a specific political endorsement of any candidate.
The consultation with Jonathan is part of a pattern of escalating opposition activity that includes the Ibadan summit’s agreement on a single candidate, ongoing consultations with former heads of state, the Supreme Court’s pending judgment on the ADC leadership dispute, and the approaching party primaries deadline.
