JONATHAN GOODLUCK IS A ‘GO-BACK-TO-EGYPT’ IDEA FOR PRESIDENT: 10 Reasons Why Nigerians Should NEVER Consider Jonathan Goodluck For President Again [By Dr. Ope Banwo, Mayor of Fadeyi and Founder, Naija Lives Matter]

As Nigeria groans under the weight of economic hardship and frustrated expectations, it is understandable that many citizens are nostalgic for any period that felt a little easier than the present. But to suggest a return to the Goodluck Jonathan era—as one recent article attempts—is not just shortsighted, it is intellectually insulting. It is a classic “go-back-to-Egypt” temptation that history will judge us harshly for, should we fall for it again.

Here are 10 solid reasons why Goodluck Jonathan should NEVER again be considered for Nigeria’s highest office—no matter how bad things seem now:

1. He Presided Over the Most Brazen Era of Corruption in Nigerian History

No administration in modern Nigerian history was more drenched in unrestrained looting and systemic corruption than that of Goodluck Jonathan. From the missing $20 billion revealed by Sanusi Lamido to the fuel subsidy scam and the Diezani oil heist, the economy was bled dry while Jonathan watched in clueless silence—or convenient ignorance.

2. He Was a Figurehead President Controlled by Others

Let’s be brutally honest: Goodluck Jonathan was never truly in charge. His wife, Patience Jonathan, often appeared to wield more authority than the Commander-in-Chief himself. He was surrounded by unelected power brokers, godfathers, and kitchen cabinet loyalists who ran the country like a private company.

3. He Was Weak, Indecisive, and Lacked Leadership Willpower

Leadership requires boldness, clarity, and moral conviction—Jonathan had none. He was paralyzed in the face of Boko Haram, folded during national crises, and outsourced major decisions to aides. Nigeria needs a wartime general, not a classroom teacher confused in a battlefield.

4. He Normalized Insecurity and Rewarded Militancy

During his tenure, Boko Haram morphed from a local threat into a national nightmare. Worse still, Jonathan’s government paid off Niger Delta militants in a “settlement-for-peace” strategy that created an economy of violence. Under his watch, Nigeria almost descended into total anarchy.

5. He Was So Bad That Nigerians Chose Buhari

The 2015 election was not a referendum on Buhari—it was a national rejection of Jonathan. Nigerians were so fed up with his ineptitude that they embraced an ex-dictator with baggage, hoping for change. That speaks volumes about how badly Jonathan failed.

6. His Comeback Bid Is an Insult to Our Collective Memory

To even suggest Jonathan should return is to mock our suffering, spit on the graves of Boko Haram victims, and pretend the past didn’t happen. We cried for rescue in 2015. Now, we must not act like amnesiacs just because we’re disillusioned with Tinubu.

7. He Allowed a Culture of Impunity to Thrive

From oil theft to electoral manipulation and unchecked ministerial abuse, Jonathan oversaw a government where no one was held accountable. He either didn’t know what was happening or was too weak to stop it—both disqualify him for any future leadership.

8. He Is a Spent Force With No New Ideas

Jonathan has nothing fresh to offer. No manifesto. No clear vision. No proof that he has learned from past failures. Bringing him back would be like reinstalling a faulty software we’ve already deleted for crashing the system.

9. We Can’t Keep Recycling Failed Leaders

Jonathan, Atiku, Buhari—these are relics of the past. Nigeria cannot move forward by rotating among discredited leaders. If Tinubu must go, then we need a completely new type of leadership—not a sentimental resurrection of past mediocrity.

10. It Sends the Wrong Message to Future Generations

Rewarding failure with a second chance at the presidency sets a dangerous precedent. It tells young Nigerians that cluelessness, corruption, and cowardice can be forgiven if you wait long enough. We must not insult our national future by resurrecting national mistakes.

FINAL THOUGHT: If Tinubu Must Go, Let’s Find Someone New—But Not Jonathan, Not Atiku, and Not Even Obi Just Yet

I was once Obidient. I loved the fire. But in four years, I’ve not seen any bold policy framework from Peter Obi that convinces me he would govern differently—especially with the Obidient mob tail-wagging the dog. As for Atiku, even Obasanjo—his own boss—told us he’s the poster boy for corruption. Must we play this same tired tape again?

President Tinubu is not perfect. I didn’t support him in 2023 because I felt he helped bring the disaster called Buhari upon us. But he is trying—and more importantly, he is the current occupant. If we must replace him, let us at least do so with someone new, tested, and visionary.

Certainly not Jonathan Goodluck. We already tried that. It was a national nightmare. Let’s never go back to Egypt.