A former presidential aide and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Sani, has claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has already obtained a presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 general election.
Sani, who previously served as senior special assistant on media and publicity to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, made the claim during an appearance on Trust TV on Tuesday.
His comments come amid growing speculation over Jonathan’s political future following renewed consultations across political circles nearly 12 years after leaving office.
Although Jonathan has yet to officially declare his intention to contest or reveal the platform he may use, Sani suggested that internal crises within the PDP may explain the former president’s cautious approach.
He rejected suggestions that the party was merely using Jonathan’s popularity to regain relevance, insisting that the former president’s recent actions pointed to genuine political ambition.
According to Sani, obtaining a nomination form is a significant political step and indicates clear intent to contest.
He further claimed that Jonathan was preparing to publicly submit the forms, stressing that the issue was no longer about persuading him to run.
Sani described Jonathan as the right choice for the country at the moment and expressed confidence that legal challenges against the former president’s eligibility to seek another term would fail.
He argued that the matter had already been settled by the courts and could not be relitigated except by the Supreme Court.
The PDP chieftain added that many Nigerians remained emotionally attached to Jonathan due to memories of his administration, insisting that public sentiment towards the former president had changed over time.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president from 2010 to 2015 before losing re-election to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since leaving office, Jonathan has largely focused on diplomatic and mediation roles across Africa while staying away from active partisan politics.