Jonathan had 22 govs and still lost, Ndume warns Tinubu

Senator Ali Ndume, the lawmaker representing Borno South, has warned President Bola Tinubu against complacency ahead of the 2027 presidential election, drawing parallels to the 2015 defeat of former President Goodluck Jonathan.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme aired on Sunday, the former Senate Chief Whip cautioned that Tinubu could suffer a similar fate if he fails to address the nation’s deepening economic crisis and rising public frustration.

“Jonathan had 22 governors backing him in 2015, yet he lost woefully. Tinubu is being endorsed by many APC governors now too. But endorsements don’t win elections—people do,” Ndume said.

He noted that despite Jonathan’s broad support base at the time, including key governors and party heavyweights, he was defeated by then-opposition candidate Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who secured over 15 million votes to Jonathan’s 12.8 million.

Ndume expressed concern that the APC might be repeating the same mistakes. “We’re not learning our lesson. The level of hardship and hunger across the country is alarming. If nothing is done, the people will revolt with their votes,” he warned.

He also criticised reports of plans to grant automatic tickets to incumbent National Assembly members, warning that such moves could alienate grassroots supporters.

“You can’t rely on governors alone to deliver an election. Who will be the foot soldiers? When the rumour came out about automatic tickets, the party denied it. But even the rumour alone can damage trust,” he added.

The senator advised Tinubu to urgently implement people-focused policies that improve the living standards of ordinary Nigerians.

“There’s still time to turn things around,” he said. “If the president can make Nigerians truly happy in the next two years, he might go unopposed in 2027. But if not, the backlash could be severe.”