The Archbishop Metropolitan and Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion), Most Rev. Henry Ndukuba, has advised former President Goodluck Jonathan not to contest the 2027 presidential election.
Ndukuba gave the advice on Saturday while delivering his address during the First Session of the 13th Synod of the Diocese of Abuja held in the nation’s capital.
The Anglican Primate warned that a return to partisan politics could affect the respected statesman image Jonathan has built for himself since leaving office.
According to him, the former president has already earned a lasting place in Nigeria’s democratic history, especially following his widely praised decision to concede defeat after the 2015 presidential election.
Ndukuba stated that Jonathan’s reputation as a peaceful and democratic leader should be preserved rather than risked through another presidential contest.
“We don’t want you to spoil that good name and please, keep off for now, let them just play it. Be the senior citizen that you should be,” the cleric said.
He also praised Jonathan for his contributions not only to Nigeria but also to the African continent through his peace-building and diplomatic engagements.
“We thank God for your life, not only for Nigeria but for the West Africa region, ECOWAS, and Africa.
“You are a symbol that should stand; you are a hope for our generation, that it is possible for us to be civil, to lead with integrity, and possible for us to pass on a worthy legacy to those coming after us,” Ndukuba added.
Jonathan served as Nigeria’s president between 2010 and 2015 under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
He lost the 2015 presidential election to Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), but gained national and international commendation after personally calling Buhari to concede defeat even before the final results were officially announced.
The move was widely credited with helping to ease political tension and preventing possible post-election violence across the country.
Since leaving office, Jonathan has remained active in international diplomacy and conflict resolution efforts across Africa.
He has regularly led election observation missions and peace mediation assignments on behalf of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and the African Union (AU).
Despite his transition into a global statesman, speculations about a possible return to active politics and another presidential bid have continued to surface ahead of the 2027 general elections.
