…Ex-President Says True Leadership Emerges in Times of Crisis
…Faction Says It Banks on Nostalgia for Jonathan Years to Win in 2027
By Franklin Adole
Former President Goodluck Jonathan on Tuesday relived the years of former Head of State Yakubu Gowon with deep nostalgia, declaring that many of the policies introduced during Gowon’s administration remain relevant to Nigeria’s development today, even as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) formally granted him a waiver to contest against President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential race.
Jonathan spoke in Abuja while chairing the public presentation of Gowon’s autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance, where he praised the former military leader for steering Nigeria through the civil war and laying foundations for national unity and regional integration.
The development came on the same day the PDP Presidential and Gubernatorial Screening Committee cleared Jonathan by waiver ahead of the party’s presidential primary, reinforcing his emergence as the party’s preferred consensus candidate for the 2027 election.
Speaking at the book launch, Jonathan said true leadership is often revealed during moments of national crisis, noting that Gowon demonstrated courage, restraint, and magnanimity during one of Nigeria’s most turbulent periods.
“Many people can be good leaders when the environment is stable. It is during periods of crisis that true leadership is revealed,” Jonathan said.
He praised Gowon’s famous “No victor, no vanquished” declaration at the end of the civil war, describing it as a philosophy that helped Nigeria begin the difficult process of healing and reintegration.
Jonathan noted that Gowon’s legacy went beyond wartime leadership, citing enduring policies such as the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) and the establishment of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS).
According to him, the NYSC scheme, created in 1973, was conceived as a bold national integration project aimed at fostering unity among young Nigerians.
Although he admitted that the country has not fully achieved the vision behind the programme, Jonathan maintained that the initiative remains one of the most far-reaching nation-building policies ever introduced in Nigeria.
The former president also shared a personal memory of how two NYSC members posted to his secondary school in 1973 helped shape his academic journey by teaching key science subjects.
“So, the vision of the NYSC was great, and we will continue to celebrate you,” he said.
Jonathan further commended Gowon for championing ECOWAS, describing the regional bloc as another enduring institution that continues to promote cooperation and integration across West Africa.
“These are policies that will continue to reform society. These are policies that will endure,” he stated.
He also stressed the importance of leaders documenting their experiences for future generations, hinting that he may eventually publish his own memoirs.
Jonathan praised Gowon’s continued role in peace-building through initiatives such as Nigeria Prays, saying leadership should not end after leaving political office.
“There is much that contemporary leaders and future generations can learn from the experiences captured in this book, especially the virtues of patience, restraint, dialogue, courage, and reconciliation,” he added.
Meanwhile, the PDP screening committee, led by factional interim chairman, Tanimu Turaki, officially cleared Jonathan by waiver for the party’s presidential primary.
Former Niger State governor Babangida Aliyu disclosed the decision after the screening exercise in Abuja.
The waiver effectively removes procedural hurdles for Jonathan’s return to the presidential race, amid growing momentum within the fractured opposition party ahead of the 2027 elections.
The PDP also openly admitted that Jonathan’s candidacy was influenced by what it described as widespread nostalgia among Nigerians for his years in office.
Speaking on Trust TV, PDP stalwart Umar Sani said the party considered the mood of voters nationwide before settling on Jonathan.
According to Sani, many Nigerians still associate Jonathan’s administration with relative economic stability and lower living costs.
“The most important reason why we brought Jonathan is because of the nostalgia that Nigerians have for him,” Sani said.
“If you meet an ordinary man on the street who lived during Jonathan’s period, he will tell you that a bag of rice sold for between N7,500 and N8,000. These are some of the things people remember him for.”
Sani added that Jonathan’s perceived readiness to serve only one term also appealed to a strategic bloc of voters across the country, making him a politically attractive option for the PDP as it seeks to challenge Tinubu in 2027.