Former presidential aspirant Mathias Tsado has called on associates of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to persuade him to contest the 2027 presidential election, insisting that the former Bayelsa governor has the qualities needed to reposition Nigeria.
Tsado, who once contested under the Action Democratic Party (ADP), made the appeal on Tuesday during Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.
“Yes, he has not declared his interest, but I am praying for the day President Goodluck Jonathan will announce his intention to run,” Tsado said.
He urged Jonathan’s associates to encourage him, recalling speculation in 2023 that he might re-enter the race.
Jonathan, who conceded defeat to Muhammadu Buhari in 2015, became the first incumbent president in Nigeria’s history to lose an election since the return to democracy in 1999.
Tsado described Jonathan as a statesman who prioritised national peace over personal ambition, noting that his calm acceptance of defeat elevated his reputation among Nigerians.