Election matters
Posted: Tue Aug 05, 2025 9:41 am
Dr. Goodluck Ebele Jonathan can no longer contest for the office of President of Nigeria. It is important to stop encouraging or calling on him to run again. What’s more disappointing is that even some people who are supposed to be lawyers are also making this call, despite what the Constitution clearly says.
Let me explain. The Nigerian Constitution allows a person to be elected as President only two times. That means no one can serve more than eight years in total as an elected President. In 2018, a constitutional amendment (known as the Fourth Alteration No. 16) added a new clause, Section 137(3). This section says that anyone who completes another person’s term as President can only be elected to the office once after that.
Dr. Jonathan became Acting President in 2010 after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He then contested and won the 2011 presidential election, serving a full term until 2015. Based on the law now in effect, since he completed Yar’Adua’s term and also served one full term, he is not allowed to run for President again.
It is very likely that Dr. Jonathan himself understands this. In fact, before contesting in 2011, there was an agreement that he would run for just one term after completing Yar’Adua’s tenure. According to reports, he agreed to that plan. However, in 2015, he came under pressure to run again and went ahead, but he lost the election. To keep the peace, he famously said his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian.
Those who are still calling on Jonathan to contest are either not aware of the current law or they simply want to stir political trouble. The truth remains: Dr. Jonathan has been sworn in twice as President, and that’s the limit set by the Constitution. People should let him enjoy his peaceful life as a statesman and global peace ambassador.
Nigeria is a country of laws, and the Constitution must be respected. We cannot change the rules simply because of how we feel about a person. Jonathan served Nigeria and played his part. Let us respect the law and move forward as a nation.
If politicians like Peter Obi or Rotimi Amaechi want to contest for the presidency against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they are free to do so, it is their constitutional right. But we must stop dragging Dr. Jonathan into the conversation when the law clearly disqualifies him from contesting again.
At the moment, it is clear that an average northerner want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his second term. After that, political power will shift, and a younger candidate could emerge decided by a new northern political force alliance. Until then, let us focus on those who are legally qualified to run and stop disturbing Dr. Jonathan’s well-earned peace.
OJA
https://www.facebook.com/share/1YUuzvdvU3/
Let me explain. The Nigerian Constitution allows a person to be elected as President only two times. That means no one can serve more than eight years in total as an elected President. In 2018, a constitutional amendment (known as the Fourth Alteration No. 16) added a new clause, Section 137(3). This section says that anyone who completes another person’s term as President can only be elected to the office once after that.
Dr. Jonathan became Acting President in 2010 after the death of President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. He then contested and won the 2011 presidential election, serving a full term until 2015. Based on the law now in effect, since he completed Yar’Adua’s term and also served one full term, he is not allowed to run for President again.
It is very likely that Dr. Jonathan himself understands this. In fact, before contesting in 2011, there was an agreement that he would run for just one term after completing Yar’Adua’s tenure. According to reports, he agreed to that plan. However, in 2015, he came under pressure to run again and went ahead, but he lost the election. To keep the peace, he famously said his ambition was not worth the blood of any Nigerian.
Those who are still calling on Jonathan to contest are either not aware of the current law or they simply want to stir political trouble. The truth remains: Dr. Jonathan has been sworn in twice as President, and that’s the limit set by the Constitution. People should let him enjoy his peaceful life as a statesman and global peace ambassador.
Nigeria is a country of laws, and the Constitution must be respected. We cannot change the rules simply because of how we feel about a person. Jonathan served Nigeria and played his part. Let us respect the law and move forward as a nation.
If politicians like Peter Obi or Rotimi Amaechi want to contest for the presidency against Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, they are free to do so, it is their constitutional right. But we must stop dragging Dr. Jonathan into the conversation when the law clearly disqualifies him from contesting again.
At the moment, it is clear that an average northerner want President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to complete his second term. After that, political power will shift, and a younger candidate could emerge decided by a new northern political force alliance. Until then, let us focus on those who are legally qualified to run and stop disturbing Dr. Jonathan’s well-earned peace.
OJA
https://www.facebook.com/share/1YUuzvdvU3/