2027: CSO urges Jonathan to run for president

Jibril Mustapha, President of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation and former President of the Buhari Youth Organisation (BYO), has called on former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election.

In a statement released on Sunday in Lagos, Mustapha appealed to Jonathan to heed the call to return to the political stage, insisting that Nigeria urgently needs a leader with proven integrity and a commitment to national unity.

“As the nation prepares for the 2027 elections, the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation believes it is time for all stakeholders to rally behind a candidate who can truly represent the interests of every Nigerian,” Mustapha said. “We urge former President Goodluck Jonathan to consider this call and step forward as a candidate who can unite our country and lead us toward a brighter future.”

Citing the current challenges facing Nigeria — including economic hardship, insecurity, unemployment, and rampant banditry — Mustapha stressed the need for a leader capable of restoring hope and steering the nation back on the path of progress.

“Nigeria is at a crossroads,” he said. “We are grappling with issues that threaten our stability and future. We need a leader who can bring all Nigerians together, irrespective of their backgrounds.”

Highlighting Jonathan’s tenure as president, Mustapha praised the former leader’s commitment to democratic values and citizen welfare, describing his leadership style as inclusive and economically progressive.

“Jonathan has the vision, experience, and leadership qualities that Nigeria desperately needs at this critical juncture,” he added. “Under his leadership, we can work towards restoring Nigeria’s lost glory, both internationally and at home.”

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the BYO is a youth-based political movement that originally supported former President Muhammadu Buhari.

Jonathan, who served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015, lost his second-term bid to Buhari in the 2015 general elections.

Amid past debates over his eligibility to contest again, a 2022 ruling by the Federal High Court in Bayelsa clarified that Jonathan remains eligible to run. Presiding Judge Justice Isa Dashen ruled that Jonathan’s rights could not be curtailed by any retroactive law, noting that Jonathan was not elected president in 2007 but assumed office following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua.

The court concluded that since no presidential election was conducted in 2010, Jonathan’s tenure beginning that year could not be counted against him under constitutional term limits.

(With additional information from NAN)