•••He Has Picked PDP Nomination Form, Party Chieftain Claims
Fidelia Soriwei, Abuja
A former presidential aide and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Umar Sani, has claimed that former President Goodluck Jonathan has purchased a presidential nomination form ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Sani, who 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.
He said Jonathan has already taken steps that indicate interest in the presidential race, adding that the procurement of the nomination form is one of such actions.
“The issue is not about whether we will extract commitment from him. What is most important in politics is action. If your action suggests you are interested, there are certain actions to follow. One of which is the procurement of the nomination form.
“He has procured the nomination form. In fact, he is about to come and submit the forms publicly. So it is not an issue of whether we are trying to bring or use him for our face-saving grace, whatever. No.
“The fact of the matter is that we believe that Jonathan is the right choice at this moment,” Sani said.
He also expressed confidence that the legal challenge to Jonathan’s eligibility to contest the presidency would fail, insisting that the matter 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,” he said.
According to him, only the Supreme Court could overturn earlier decisions on Jonathan’s eligibility, adding that the matter pending before Justice Peter Lifu would likely be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction when it comes up on May 26.
Sani further dismissed claims that Jonathan’s supporters were exploiting his name for political relevance, insisting that many Nigerians still feel emotionally connected to the former president.
“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.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s President between 2010 and 2015 after completing the tenure of the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, before losing re-election to former President Muhammadu Buhari.
Since leaving office, he has largely played diplomatic and mediation roles across Africa while avoiding direct partisan politics.
