Prominent lawyer and human rights activist Dele Farotimi has cautioned Nigerians against believing that replacing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu with former President Goodluck Jonathan would bring lasting change, insisting that the country’s challenges are deeply rooted in systemic failure, not individuals.
Speaking in an interview with Channels Television, Farotimi argued that any attempt to return Jonathan to power in 2027 would merely recycle past mistakes unless Nigeria undertakes structural reforms.
“Even a thousand Goodluck Jonathans can’t solve Nigeria’s problems,” he said.
“We keep recycling people, hoping for different outcomes, without fixing the broken system that keeps producing bad leadership. If we do not address our structural problems or confront the truth, nothing will change.”
He described the renewed push for Jonathan’s comeback as political distraction rather than a path to national recovery.
“This was the same Jonathan who was demonised in 2015. Religious leaders and the media joined in removing him, promising better days. Now we’re being told to dig him up again, just like we dug up the one who just expired. We’re not looking for saviours, we need to build sustainable systems.”
Meanwhile, in a sharp contrast to Farotimi’s view, a Northern youth movement, Bring Back Our Goodluck, has publicly apologised to former President Jonathan for what it described as false accusations used to oust him in 2015, including claims he sponsored Boko Haram.
The group’s National Chairman, Grema Kyari, made the remarks in Maiduguri, Borno State, during a strategy meeting aimed at mobilising support for Jonathan’s return to the presidency in 2027.
“During Jonathan’s tenure, many of us believed he supported Boko Haram. We were misled by a false narrative fueled by political propaganda. Today, with clearer insight and access to information, we know those allegations were unfounded,” Kyari said.
He accused foreign interests and local political actors of collaborating in a “regime change” plot that unseated Jonathan in 2015.
The group announced plans for a one-million-man march to Jonathan’s hometown in Bayelsa State, as part of a nationwide campaign to urge him to contest again.
“Nigeria is at a crossroads,” Kyari declared.
“Economic hardship, insecurity, and division are worse than ever. Our people feel betrayed. We believe Jonathan can restore stability and unity, and we’re ready to go the distance to bring him back.”
