Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly facing intense pressure from influential figures in the Niger Delta to abandon any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election and instead support President Bola Tinubu’s second-term ambition, Vanguard has gathered.
Reliable sources say the push is being led by ex-militant leader Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), who, along with other political heavyweights, visited Jonathan at his country home in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area, Bayelsa State on October 16. The delegation reportedly included Chief Kestin Pondi, Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), and Joshua Maciver, APC’s deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa elections.
Insider accounts reveal that the meeting was primarily political. Tompolo is said to have advised Jonathan that public sentiment in the Niger Delta is strongly in favour of Tinubu’s re-election and that pursuing a presidential bid could mean losing expected “home support.”
A source familiar with the discussion said:
“Tompolo came to see His Excellency in Otuoke on Friday, October 16. Contrary to reports suggesting the visit was about peace and security in the Niger Delta, it was purely political. He appealed to the former president to shelve his rumoured 2027 bid, noting that the prevailing sentiment across the region supports Tinubu’s continuation in office.”
Another insider added that Jonathan acknowledged the wisdom in Tompolo’s counsel and promised to reflect on it before making his political intentions public.
Speaking briefly to journalists after the meeting, Jonathan maintained that the visit was meant to review peace in the Niger Delta, without confirming or denying discussions about his possible 2027 presidential ambition.
