2027 Race: Jonathan’s Political Comeback Gains Traction as Mimiko Leads South-West Consultation Team

The political atmosphere ahead of the 2027 general elections is heating up as fresh indications emerge that former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan may be preparing for a major comeback to the presidential arena.

Reliable sources have revealed that the former Governor of Ondo State, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, has been appointed to spearhead Jonathan’s consultation efforts across the South-West zone, a move seen by political observers as a strong signal that the former Nigerian leader is testing the waters for another run.

Jonathan, who first assumed office in 2010 following the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua and was subsequently elected in 2011, lost his re-election bid to the late President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015. Since leaving office, he has largely maintained a quiet posture, avoiding public political declarations while focusing on international peace missions and democracy advocacy across Africa.

However, insiders close to the former president disclosed that he has been holding high-level meetings and discreet consultations with political allies, former governors, and influential stakeholders across different regions as part of a broad assessment of his prospects ahead of 2027.

According to impeccable sources, Jonathan’s political machinery has begun to reassemble behind the scenes, with trusted allies reviving old networks across the six geopolitical zones. The appointment of Mimiko, a respected Yoruba political figure and longtime Jonathan ally to lead consultations in the South-West underscores the seriousness of these quiet political maneuvers.

It was gathered that Mimiko’s assignment is to reach out to prominent Yoruba monarchs, religious leaders, elder statesmen, and grassroots influencers to feel the pulse of the region regarding a possible Jonathan comeback. His consultations are expected to cover key states including Lagos, Ondo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti, and Ogun.

Sources further disclosed that a faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), reportedly backed by former Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola, is intensifying efforts to lure Jonathan to the party’s fold. The group is advocating for the ADC presidential ticket to be zoned to the South, a strategy they believe could pave the way for Jonathan to serve a single four-year term, thereby completing what they describe as the “South’s full eight-year cycle” before power returns to the North.

It was also revealed that Jonathan recently met with the National Chairman of the ADC, Senator David Mark, in a closed-door meeting in Abuja. Although details remain undisclosed, insiders confirmed that discussions were centered on the 2027 presidency and possible political alignments.

Meanwhile, some top figures in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) are said to be making strong appeals for Jonathan to remain within the party, assuring him of their support should he decide to recontest under its platform. This dual courtship from both PDP and ADC has sparked fresh speculation that the former president could become a major deciding factor in Nigeria’s 2027 political landscape.

Dr. Mimiko’s reemergence in Jonathan’s political orbit is not unexpected. Both men share a deep political history dating back to their days as sitting governor and president, respectively. Jonathan was widely believed to have tacitly supported Mimiko’s re-election bid under the Labour Party in 2012, despite opposition from the PDP in Ondo State. In 2014, Mimiko formally joined the PDP and was appointed to lead Jonathan’s South-West presidential campaign team in 2015.

After leaving office, Mimiko explored several political platforms, including the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), under which he unsuccessfully contested for a senatorial seat in 2019. Ahead of the 2023 general elections, he returned to the PDP and aligned with the camp loyal to then-Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike.

Although many of his associates later defected to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Mimiko himself reportedly stayed politically neutral after attempts to join the APC were frustrated by certain power blocs within the presidency.

His latest appointment as Jonathan’s South-West frontman has now thrust him back into the national political spotlight, positioning him as a key strategist in what appears to be the early stages of a coordinated comeback mission for the former president.

Political watchers believe that if Jonathan decides to contest, his entry would dramatically reshape alignments within both the PDP and ADC and potentially unsettle the ruling APC ahead of 2027.

For now, Jonathan’s camp remains tight-lipped, maintaining that consultations are ongoing and that no formal decision has been made. Yet, the growing tempo of political activity around his name suggests that Nigeria may once again be on the verge of witnessing the return of one of its most talked-about democratic figures to the center stage.