‎‎Almost 11 years after leaving the presidency, former President Goodluck Jonathan is for the umpteenth time being projected as interested in running for president.‎‎Former governor of Niger State and Secretary of the Board of Trustees, BoT, under the leadership of former Senate President Adolphus Wabara, Babangida Aliyu, on Tuesday said the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the leadership of Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has offered a waiver to Jonathan as the only presidential candidate of the party.‎‎While addressing journalists after the screening of 12 governorship aspirants at Transcorp Hilton Abuja on Tuesday, Babangida Aliyu said Jonathan is the only presidential aspirant of the party known to them.‎‎He said, having served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice president and President, Jonathan deserves to be given a waiver, adding that with his antecedents he does not need any screening.‎‎He said, “Therefore, the party had given him waiver. In other words, he has been declared and cleared as the candidate of the PDP for the presidential election, and that is former President Jonathan.”‎‎Daily Trust recalls that this is not the first time Jonathan would be touted as being interested in returning to office as president since he lost election in 2015.‎‎In 2023, the former president was said to be one of those that obtained forms to contest for the presidential ticket of the APC when a coalition of Northern Groups was said to have purchased the N100 million form on his behalf. He, however, did not run as speculated. He even came out to reject the offer, saying the forms were obtained without his consent.‎‎Towards the end of last year, it was also speculated that he was intending to run and was on the verge of declaring. Again, that did not happen.‎‎The matter was again resurrected when a group visited him at his residence in Abuja, and urged him to contest and he responded that he had to consult widely as running for president is not a computer game.‎‎Analysts said for an aspirant to be given a waiver, the person had to first obtain a form but the former president is not known to have obtained the PDP form.‎‎But a former presidential aide and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Umar Sani, claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan purchased a presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 elections.‎‎Sani, who served as Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to former Vice President Namadi Sambo, made the disclosure during an appearance on Trust TV, on Tuesday.‎‎He also expressed confidence that the suit challenging Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the presidency again would fail in court, arguing that the issue had already been settled judicially.‎‎“We are very confident that the matter will be thrown out because you cannot relitigate something that has already been decided upon,” Sani said.‎‎According to him, only the Supreme Court could overturn earlier decisions on Jonathan’s eligibility, insisting that the pending matter before Justice Peter Lifu, would likely be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction when it comes up on May 26.‎‎Although Jonathan has yet to publicly declare his ambition or confirm the platform on which he may contest, Sani suggested that internal crises within the PDP may have contributed to the former president’s cautious approach.‎‎He, however, maintained that Jonathan’s actions already indicated serious political interest.‎‎“In politics, what is important is action. If you are interested, there are processes you have to follow, one of which is the procurement of nomination forms. He has done that,” he said.‎‎Pressed further during the interview on whether Jonathan had indeed obtained the form, Sani replied: “Yes and in fact, he is about to come and submit the forms publicly.”‎‎The PDP chieftain dismissed claims that Jonathan’s supporters were merely exploiting his name for political relevance, insisting that many Nigerians remained emotionally attached to the former president because of memories of his administration.‎‎“Most Nigerians know him and are nostalgic about Jonathan. At the time he left office, many people felt the PDP was not performing, but now Nigerians have seen the difference clearly,” he added.‎‎After the waiver, the faction also screened 12 governorship aspirants from across the country.‎‎Babangida Aliyu said the other waiver is for the former deputy governor and secretary of the party, Amb. Taofeek Arapaja, who for many reasons, had to be in Ibadan, Oyo State, to ensure that everything goes well.‎‎“So, we also declared him as been given a waiver by the party. The others,  I’m sure you have interacted with many of them who have come here,” he said.‎‎Speaking on the governorship aspirants, he said, “We had two from Taraba, one from Adamawa, one from Kano, one from Akwa Ibom, one from Delta, and Kano. Anytime the other people come within the screening period, we will continue the screening exercise.‎‎“We are very happy that even those who have been attempting to kill the party cannot succeed, and the party will contest this election by the grace of God and by the constitution of Nigeria.”‎‎Crises that affected interests in PDP presidential ticket‎‎The PDP had been embroiled in leadership crisis since the Federal Capital Territory, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, declared his intention to work for the reelection of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.‎‎In November 2025, members and leaders of the party loyal to governors elected on the platform of the PDP, held a convention in Ibadan where Turaki and others were elected as members of the National Working Committee, NWC.‎‎However, the leadership loyal to Wike and led by the National Secretary of the party, Senator Samuel Anyanwu, rejected the development and set up a caretaker committee under the leadership of Abdulrahman Mohammed.‎‎The situation produced two factions of the party and led to a prolonged legal battle over who are the rightful leaders of the party.‎‎Recently, the Supreme Court ruled on the matter and nullified the Ibadan Convention.‎‎But instead of settling the issue, the factions held to the various sections of the judgement and continued their war over the control of the party.‎‎While the Wike-backed faction held their convention and returned Abdulrahman, Anyanwu and others as National Working Committee members, the Turaki-led faction held a National Executive Committee, NEC meeting and returned the former NWC members as Interim National Working Committee.‎‎How Jonathan was cleared‎‎Before now, speculations were rife that the Turaki-led faction was wooing the Bayelsa-born former president to contest the election on its platform.‎‎However, Daily Trust reliably gathered that while Jonathan has not been forthcoming on the development and that the PDP faction has been insistent hoping to use the profile to make a political statement.‎‎A chieftain of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Bayelsa State, Mr Christopher Abarowei, however, urged former president to forget about contesting the 2027 election, saying it will be suicidal for him to contest under PDP.‎‎He said even the crisis in PDP will stand against him and the legal hurdles before him, adding that Jonathan does not stand a chance in the next election.‎‎He said: “Well, I think he is embarking on a suicidal mission. Has INEC accepted the Supreme Court judgement in favour of the Turaki faction? Anyanwu’s name is still on the INEC portal, and on May 26, there will be a judgement from the Federal High Court concerning his eligibility. I don’t think he stands a chance, so he should just forget about it.‎‎“Talking about his popularity, as far as I’m concerned, it is relative. People might come to you and say you stand a chance, but practically, what do they do? in Nigeria, in every electoral circle, you are contesting against your opponent, INEC, the security, so, he should be very sure of himself before throwing his hat into the ring.‎‎“I don’t see anything he has forgotten in Aso Rock that he wants to go and collect,” he said.‎‎‘PDP might just be testing legality of factions’‎‎Political analysts have suggested that the reported waiver granted to former President Goodluck Jonathan by a faction of the Peoples Democratic Party ahead of the 2027 presidential election may be part of a wider internal test of which faction is legally recognised as the authentic leadership of the party.‎‎A political scientist, Professor Saleh Dauda, said the reported waiver for Jonathan could be interpreted beyond ordinary party politics.‎‎“I don’t know whether the PDP is using him to test the legality of which faction is the true PDP or which faction is legally recognised,” he said.‎‎Dauda, however, argued that even if Jonathan eventually joins the race, his candidacy would not significantly alter the electoral balance of power in 2027.‎‎“To the best of my knowledge, it has little implication for the 2027 election,” he said, stressing that Nigerian voting behaviour remains largely regional.‎‎He said existing political alignments already show strong contenders across geopolitical zones, limiting space for disruption.‎‎“In the South-East, you already have Peter Obi. In the North, you have heavyweights like Atiku and others. In the West and Central Nigeria, Tinubu is very strong,” he said.‎‎The analyst questioned the former president’s political base in the current configuration.‎‎“So what impact is he going to make? Where is his support base? Is it North-East, North-West, South-South, South-East or South-West?” he asked.‎‎Dauda further argued that the PDP’s internal fragmentation and Jonathan’s long absence from partisan politics would also constrain any possible comeback.‎‎“In a party that most people have left, where would he even have the backing,” he said.‎‎He also cautioned the former president against returning to frontline partisan politics.‎‎Dauda added that Jonathan has not formally declared any ambition, hence it is better if it remains speculation.‎‎Also speaking on the matter, political analyst Jide Ojo said the controversy surrounding Jonathan’s alleged waiver reflects deeper confusion within the PDP’s internal structure.‎‎“I don’t know why former President Goodluck Jonathan is keeping quiet about whether he is going to run or not,” he said.‎‎He noted that the legal dimension of the matter was still unsettled, with a court expected to rule on Jonathan’s eligibility.‎‎“There is also a court that has reserved judgment on his eligibility. A faction of PDP is now saying they have waived screening for him,” he said.‎‎Ojo questioned the legitimacy of the party structures issuing such decisions, warning that it could worsen factional confusion. He said Jonathan’s continued silence was politically unsettling.‎‎“If he wants to run, let him run. If he is not running, he should come out clearly. This quiet diplomacy is quite unsettling,” he said.‎‎Ojo further argued that Jonathan risks undermining his political legacy if he re-enters the presidential race without a clear path to victory.‎‎“Any attempt by Goodluck Jonathan to contest would demystify him. I don’t see any pathway to victory for him,” he said.‎‎He noted that Jonathan has largely remained outside active partisan structures since leaving office in 2015.‎‎“The political structure you didn’t build in the last 11 years, I’m not sure he has it now,” he said.‎‎However, he suggested that geopolitical calculations could still influence some elite preferences.‎‎“If the northern elite is to choose between Peter Obi and Goodluck Jonathan, they may prefer Jonathan because they know he cannot go for another term,” he said.‎‎Jonathan’s presidential bid may face constitutional hurdles – Prof. Fage‎‎​A Professor of Political Science at Bayero University Kano (BUK), Prof. Kamilu Fage, said former President Goodluck Jonathan’s entry into the 2027 presidential race under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) could trigger serious constitutional debates if he wins.‎‎Prof. Fage noted that while Jonathan’s candidacy may strengthen PDP’s position as an opposition party, his eligibility could be challenged in court.‎‎He explained that the constitution provides that a person can only be sworn into the office of the president twice, but Jonathan has already been sworn in multiple times, first as acting president after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’adua, and later after winning the 2011 election.‎‎“If he were to win now, it means he would be sworn into that office three times, which is going to cause a lot of constitutional debate and issues,” Fage said.‎‎He added that Jonathan had already spent six years in office, and another term would extend his presidency to ten years, whereas the constitution provides for a maximum of eight years.‎‎The professor acknowledged that a Bayelsa court had earlier ruled that the prohibition does not apply to Jonathan, but insisted that the matter remains a constitutional issue that could spark legal tussles.‎‎On the political implications, Fage said Jonathan’s entry adds a new dimension to the 2027 contest. “Before he entered the race, we were talking about major political parties like APC, ADC and likely NDC. Now with him contesting under PDP, the equation changes,” he said.‎‎He stressed that despite its internal crisis, PDP remains one of Nigeria’s major parties and could still provide a formidable opposition candidate.‎‎“With or without Jonathan, PDP will remain relevant. But his entry means we are going to have many parties in the race, with four dominant ones being APC, ADC, NDC and PDP,” Fage added