Abuja — The Presidency on Friday accused former President Goodluck Jonathan of lacking a coherent economic strategy during his 2010–2015 tenure and said Nigeria’s current challenges “began under Jonathan,” while warning him to be wary of calls to contest the 2027 presidential election.
In a statement by Presidential Adviser on Information and Strategy Bayo Onanuga, the Villa responded to remarks attributed to former minister Jerry Gana suggesting Jonathan would run on the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) platform and defeat President Bola Tinubu. Onanuga described the suggestion as “delusional,” adding that PDP “left behind a legacy of economic ruin after 16 years.”
“We should caution former President Jonathan to be wary of the PDP’s sugar-coated cheerleaders,” the statement said, alleging that those urging him on would “abandon him midstream, as they did in 2015.” While stressing that Jonathan has a constitutional right to run, the Presidency said any candidacy would face a legal test over whether a person “sworn in twice as president” could be sworn in again—an issue it said would be for the courts to decide.
The Presidency further argued that Jonathan’s administration “engaged in frivolous spending” and “ran the economy aground,” claiming that foreign reserves and the Excess Crude Account fell sharply despite high oil prices. According to the statement, reserves dropped from $46bn to “below $30bn,” and the ECA from $20bn to $2bn by 2015; it also alleged that by December 2014 the Federal Government struggled to pay salaries while “at least 28 states owed workers.” (All figures were cited in the Presidency’s statement.)
By contrast, the Villa touted Tinubu’s “bold reforms,” including fuel-subsidy removal, exchange-rate unification, and a focus on infrastructure such as the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway. It credited these with restoring investor confidence, stabilising the naira and lifting growth, citing Q2 2025 GDP at 4.23%, August 2025 inflation at 20.12% (a three-year low) and reserves at $42.03bn. “In plain language, the nation has turned the corner,” Onanuga said. “The PDP broke the economy; President Tinubu is fixing it.”
The statement comes amid intensifying opposition manoeuvres ahead of 2027 and speculation over a possible Jonathan role. As of press time, Jonathan had not publicly responded to the Presidency’s claims. The PDP has previously rejected similar assertions about its economic record.
While insisting Tinubu would “welcome” any challenger, the Presidency added: “Nigerians will not allow them to return and run it down again.”
