The Presidency has strongly rebuffed claims by former Information Minister, Professor Jerry Gana, that Nigerians are clamouring for ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to return to power in 2027.
Responding on Monday, Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, described Gana’s comments as “absurd,” insisting that the current administration is still repairing the economic damage allegedly inherited from Jonathan’s government.
Onanuga argued that Nigerians would not forget what he termed Jonathan’s “dismal record in office,” accusing the former president of overseeing years of reckless spending, depleted reserves, and poor economic planning.
“One recent statement that stands out in its absurdity is Professor Jerry Gana’s attempt to draft Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race on the platform of the discredited PDP, which after 16 years left behind economic ruins,” Onanuga said.
He further cast doubt on Jonathan’s eligibility for a fresh presidential bid, noting that having been sworn in twice already, the courts would ultimately determine whether he meets constitutional requirements for a possible third term.
Onanuga also cautioned Jonathan against being “lured” into the race by politicians he described as opportunists: “They will abandon him midstream, as they did in 2015, and leave Gentleman Jonathan in the lurch.”
Backing up his claims, the presidential spokesman said Jonathan’s administration depleted Nigeria’s foreign reserves from $46 billion in 2010 to below $30 billion in 2015, while the Excess Crude Account shrank
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