Thousands of youths affiliated with the Coalition for Goodluck Jonathan converged on former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan's office in Abuja on Wednesday morning. The group, led by Dr Tom Ohikere, former commissioner for information in Kogi State and current national president of the coalition, carried placards with messages such as "GEJ: Nigeria is dying, save it!" and "GEJ, if you no run, we quench." The demonstration stretched from Taraba Close near Tanganyika Street through Farmers Market to IBB Way, disrupting morning traffic. The crowd waited over three hours for Jonathan, but he did not appear. Ohikere addressed the media on behalf of the group, stating they had conducted a six-month nationwide consultation. "Everywhere that we have visited… the clamour for his return to power to rescue our country has been loud and unmistakable," he said. The demonstrators, who called themselves 'visitors', dispersed around 1:00 p.m., shortly before Jonathan arrived at his office. Jonathan has not issued any official statement on the event. Separately, a high-level political meeting occurred at the residence of former Senate President David Mark in Apo, Abuja. It included Atiku Abubakar, Seyi Makinde, Rotimi Amaechi, Rabiu Kwankwaso, Aminu Tambuwal, Peter Obi, Babangida Aliyu, and Abubakar Malami. The meeting sparked speculation of a possible alliance between the Peoples Democratic Party and African Democratic Congress.
Dr Tom Ohikere's orchestration of a youth mobilisation to push Goodluck Jonathan into the 2027 presidential race exposes the enduring nostalgia for a leader who has deliberately stepped back from frontline politics. The fact that Jonathan did not anticipate the visit, according to sources, underscores a growing disconnect between grassroots political theatrics and the calculated silence of the man they seek to crown. Ohikere, once a state-level political figure, is now betting on emotional appeal rather than Jonathan's documented reluctance to return.
The protest's timing, juxtaposed with a high-profile opposition meeting at David Mark's residence, suggests that 2027 calculations are already in motion. The convergence of PDP heavyweights and ADC figures—including Atiku, Makinde, Amaechi, and Kwankwaso—signals realignment, not unity. Jonathan's name is being floated not because of active campaigning, but because he represents a neutral legacy in a landscape fractured by ego and regional ambition. The placard reading "we quench" reveals the desperation of a youth bloc seeking symbolic saviours amid dwindling political inclusion.
Ordinary Nigerians, especially unemployed youths in the South-South and Middle Belt, are being drawn into political nostalgia as a substitute for tangible opportunity. These demonstrators are not demanding policy shifts or economic reforms—they are pleading for a former president to run, mistaking presence for solution. Their energy is being channelled into a campaign that Jonathan himself has never endorsed.
This fits a broader pattern in Nigerian politics: the recycling of past figures during moments of systemic uncertainty. As 2027 looms, expect more ghost revivals—Jonathan, Buhari, even older names—as parties struggle to produce credible new leaders. The absence of fresh political entry points ensures that the country keeps looking backward.
