Dr Abdul-Azeez Adediran, popularly known as Jandor, has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan not to heed calls urging him to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move would be a “political miscalculation” and could lead to a humiliating defeat.
In an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Lagos, Adediran — who was the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State — said Jonathan would be taking an “unnecessary risk” by re-entering the political arena, especially against President Bola Tinubu.
According to Jandor, those encouraging Jonathan to run are setting him up for failure.
“I disagree with people calling on Jonathan to re-contest, people saying Jonathan is the only person who can challenge Tinubu, citing his popularity and experience. It was this same man (Tinubu) that defeated him (Jonathan) from the outside. So, they are not the same,” he said.
He further contrasted the political rise of both leaders, claiming Tinubu fought his way to power through strategic resilience, while Jonathan’s presidency came “accidentally”.
“If you accidentally found yourself at the Aso Villa as President, it is different from somebody who gave his all to get there — someone who, against all odds, got there. They did all sorts for him not to get there, and he got there. Such a man cannot be put side by side with somebody who just slept and woke up and found himself in the seat of the President,” Adediran said.
He urged Jonathan to remain in retirement and pay attention to voices of reason — including his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, who has also publicly advised him against returning to active politics.
“Those calling on him to contest are not being honest with him. President Tinubu is a master in the game of politics and cannot be defeated by Jonathan or anyone else in 2027,” Jandor added.
Applauds Tinubu’s economic, structural reforms
In the same interview, Adediran praised President Tinubu for his economic reforms and administrative courage, particularly in scrapping the controversial fuel subsidy and reforming foreign exchange markets.
“We are not saying all is well, but at least the President has shown the courage to take our common patrimony from the pocket of the few in the name of fuel subsidy and return it to the country, state, and the local government,” he said.
He noted that the removal of the subsidy had significantly increased federal allocations to states and local governments, challenging subnational authorities to use the additional funds responsibly.
“Now the allocation is tripled; not that the money is collected and retained at the centre. States and local governments now have enough money to impact lives. This has put to rest what we witnessed during late President Muhammadu Buhari’s time when states would go to Abuja for FAAC meetings and return with zero allocation,” he stated.
Adediran also commended the stabilisation of Nigeria’s foreign exchange system, which he said had curbed “dubious wealth acquisition” through arbitrage in the parallel market.
“We can’t have a billionaire overnight through corrupt practices in foreign exchange. This man [Tinubu] put a stop to that,” he said.
While acknowledging that the reforms have caused short-term hardship, he called on state and local governments to use their increased resources to cushion the effects on citizens.
“If the state and local governments are doing what they are supposed to do, now that they have enough money, it will cushion the effects of some of the reforms. At the macro level, the economy has taken a corner, undoubtedly, but the micro — of course — it takes time before it trickles down.”
Calls for security support
Adediran concluded by appealing to the Nigerian Armed Forces to fully support the President’s efforts in tackling the nation’s security challenges.
“Security remains key. The Armed Forces must do more to assist the President in addressing the insecurity across the country,” he said.
As political manoeuvring intensifies ahead of the 2027 elections, Adediran’s remarks reflect growing divisions within opposition ranks and underline the formidable influence of President Tinubu in Nigeria’s current political landscape.
