ORMER First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, has categorically ruled out any return to Aso Rock, saying she values her peace more than the pressures of political life.
News Point Nigeria reports that a resurfaced video of her speech, recorded in May 2025 at an Abuja event where she was honoured with the Women Icon Leader of the Year Award by Accolades Dynamics Limited, has stirred renewed debate as speculations continue to swirl about her husband, ex-President Goodluck Jonathan, and the 2027 presidential elections.
In the viral clip, Patience Jonathan spoke candidly about the toll of public office and her personal resolve never to return to the seat of power.
“The distress of Nigeria is so much that if God manages to bring you out of it, you should glorify Him. Why do you want to go back there? I need peace… My peace is enough,” she declared to a cheering audience.
Her comments come amid ongoing reports that some northern political interests and pressure groups are lobbying Goodluck Jonathan to stage a political comeback in 2027.
In August 2025, cleric Bomadi Serimoedumu also claimed that Jonathan would return to Aso Rock, further fueling the speculations.
However, in her original May speech, Patience Jonathan was emphatic that both she and her husband had moved on. She expressed support for President Bola Tinubu’s administration and praised her cordial relationship with First Lady Senator Oluremi Tinubu.
“I told her I would campaign with her. I’m not running. I’m not going back to the villa. If you call me, I will not go,” she said.
On the broader issue of women’s political participation, she threw her weight behind the 35 per cent affirmative action policy, while faulting the National Assembly for rejecting gender equality bills that would have bolstered female representation in governance.
Her remarks add weight to recent warnings from presidential aide Bayo Onanuga, who advised Goodluck Jonathan not to heed those urging him to return to politics, reminding him of the painful defeat he suffered in 2015.
While the former president himself has remained silent on the rumours, some of his close associates are said to be counselling him against contesting.
Nonetheless, pro-Jonathan groups, such as the Nigeria Rescue Mission Organisation, continue to mount pressure, insisting he is the best unifying option for the country in 2027.
At the May event, Patience Jonathan was celebrated for her humanitarian work through several NGOs, especially in areas of women’s health, empowerment, and youth training.
