Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly facing mounting pressure from influential Niger Delta leaders, led by ex-militant commander Chief Government Ekpemupolo, better known as Tompolo, to drop his speculated 2027 presidential ambition and instead support President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Multiple reliable sources confirmed that Tompolo, alongside key political figures from the region, visited Jonathan at his country home in Otuoke, Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, on October 16, to persuade him against returning to the 2027 presidential race.
The delegation included Chief Kestin Pondi, Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), and Mr. Joshua Maciver, the APC Deputy Governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa election, among others.
According to insiders familiar with the meeting, discussions were strictly political, despite public claims that the visit was focused on peace and security issues in the Niger Delta.
“Tompolo came to see His Excellency, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, in Otuoke, on Friday, October 16, in what was a happy reunion after over a decade,” one source revealed.
“Contrary to reports that the visit was about security, it was purely political. Tompolo appealed to the former president to shelve his rumored 2027 bid and support President Tinubu’s second-term ambition.”
Tompolo, who also leads the PBAT Door-2-Door Movement, a grassroots campaign platform mobilising support for Tinubu, reportedly told Jonathan that the prevailing sentiment among Niger Deltans is not in favour of his return to power.
He was said to have warned the former president that “home support” may not be guaranteed if he decided to contest, noting that the region’s political mood currently leans toward continuity under Tinubu.
Another source disclosed that Jonathan listened attentively and acknowledged the wisdom in Tompolo’s counsel, adding that he promised to reflect on the discussion before making any public statement regarding 2027.
Speaking briefly with journalists after the closed-door meeting, Jonathan maintained that the visit was to review the prevailing peace in the Niger Delta, stopping short of confirming or denying talks about his political future.
The former president has yet to make any public declaration about his 2027 plans, though persistent rumours have linked him to a possible comeback bid, a move that has reportedly divided opinion within the Niger Delta political bloc.
