Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly facing strong pressure to abandon any plans of contesting the 2027 presidential election and instead support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid. The push is being led by prominent Niger Delta figures, notably former militant leader Chief Government Ekpemupolo, also known as Tompolo. Some of Jonathan’s associates from the region have urged him to drop his speculated political comeback and rally behind Tinubu’s second-term campaign.
Tompolo is said to have visited Jonathan at his Otuoke residence in Bayelsa State on October 16, accompanied by Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited Managing Director Chief Kestin Pondi and APC’s 2023 Bayelsa deputy governorship candidate, Joshua Maciver, among others.
Insiders described the meeting as a political one aimed at convincing Jonathan not to contest in 2027. Tompolo reportedly told the former president that most Niger Deltans do not support his rumored ambition, emphasizing that regional sentiment currently favors Tinubu’s re-election.
As leader of the PBAT Door-2-Door Movement, a grassroots group mobilizing support for Tinubu, Tompolo allegedly cautioned Jonathan that he might struggle to gain backing from his home region if he decided to run.
A source said, “Tompolo met with His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, on Friday, October 16, in Otuoke. While reports claimed the meeting was about peace in the Niger Delta, it was actually political. Tompolo appealed to Jonathan to reconsider any plans to contest in 2027 and advised him not to believe claims that he could defeat President Tinubu, given current public sentiment.”
Another insider disclosed that Jonathan appreciated Tompolo’s advice and said he would reflect on it before publicly declaring his position.
After the closed-door meeting, Jonathan briefly told journalists that Tompolo’s visit was to review the peace situation in the Niger Delta, without addressing whether the discussion involved his 2027 political intentions.