Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has cautioned political actors urging former President Goodluck Jonathan to contest the 2027 presidential election, warning that such a move could destabilise the country.

Speaking on Politics Today, a Channels Television programme, Thursday night, Wike described the campaign as “hypocritical,” recalling that many of those now calling for Jonathan’s return had abandoned him during his failed 2015 re-election bid.

“Anybody saying Jonathan should return because he will only do one term is only looking for a crisis,” he said. “These are the same people who frustrated him in 2015. Why now? Jonathan has made a name for himself globally, and they just want to drag him into unnecessary conflict.”

The minister argued that presenting Jonathan or any southern candidate under the guise of a one-term presidency was a ploy that lacked sincerity and could unsettle Nigeria’s political balance.

On the nation’s economic challenges, Wike admitted that Nigerians were going through hardship but maintained that President Bola Tinubu had taken “tough but necessary decisions” to reset the economy.

“Yes, there is hardship, I agree. But no one can deny that this government is making efforts to improve things. I see the projects in Abuja daily; they are evidence that something is happening,” he said.

He also dismissed former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s warning of a looming revolution over hunger and poverty, describing Atiku’s comments as hypocritical.

“Atiku was vice president for eight years. Why didn’t he lay the foundation to prevent hunger then? Now he keeps talking about hunger and revolution. For me, I don’t even bother reading what he says, because there is no truth in it,” Wike stated.

Wike urged Nigerians to remain patient with the Tinubu administration, stressing that opposition figures must not exploit current economic difficulties for political gain.

Calls for Jonathan’s return have intensified in recent months. In August, Bauchi State Governor Bala Mohammed revealed that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was considering Jonathan and former Anambra State Governor Peter Obi as possible presidential candidates for the 2027 elections.

“Certainly, former President Jonathan is one of the candidates we are considering if he joins us and opens his mind to run,” Mohammed said, describing him as “one of the most celebrated politicians in Nigeria today.”