Former First Lady Patience Jonathan has ruled out the possibility of her husband, Goodluck Jonathan, returning to the political arena to contest the 2027 presidential election against President Bola Tinubu.
Speaking on Saturday during the Women Icon Leader of the Year Award ceremony hosted by Accolade Dynamics Limited in Abuja, Mrs Jonathan said her family would instead throw its weight behind President Tinubu’s re-election bid. She cited longstanding personal and political ties with Tinubu and his wife, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, dating back to her time as deputy governor’s wife.
“There is only one President at a time,” Mrs Jonathan said. “I believe in turn-by-turn. When it’s your turn, I will support you. When it’s not, step back so the country can move forward.”
Mrs Jonathan emphasized that both Tinubu and his wife stood by her family during the 2011 presidential election, and that loyalty demands reciprocity. “I have a conscience,” she said. “I cannot abandon my friends.”
Her remarks come amid recurring calls for her husband to return to the political stage. In April, Dr. Jibril Mustapha, President of the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation, had urged Jonathan to contest in 2027, describing him as a unifier with the capacity to lead Nigeria forward.
But Mrs Jonathan made it clear at the event—which was attended by Mrs Folashade Tinubu-Ojo, daughter of the President—that she and her husband have no intentions of returning to Aso Rock. “I’m not running. I’m not going back to the villa. If you call me, I will not go,” she said.
Her comments, delivered in her characteristically candid style, were also laced with humour. “Don’t you like how young I look? It’s because I have rest of mind,” she joked. “I don’t want to go back there. Let my friend enjoy it now—I will wahala her the way she wahala’d me when I was there.”
Mrs Jonathan also used the platform to advocate for greater inclusion of women in governance, calling for the full implementation of the 35% affirmative action. She lamented the repeated failure of the National Assembly to pass gender equality bills, noting that both the Obasanjo and Jonathan administrations supported the principle in executive appointments.
“We’re not trying to take power from men,” she said. “We are their mothers, sisters, and friends—we are here to support them.”
The former First Lady was honoured for her contributions to women’s empowerment, particularly through her Aurora Richard Foundation and Women for Change and Development Initiative, which have impacted thousands through skill acquisition and health interventions.
In her acceptance speech, Mrs Jonathan described the award as a recognition of the collective work of “countless women and men” committed to advancing health and economic opportunities for women in Nigeria.
The event’s organiser, Ms. Dofan Chizaram, CEO of Accolade Dynamics, said the ceremony was meant to spotlight individuals whose leadership and commitment to community development have transformed lives across Nigeria and Africa.
