Former President Goodluck Jonathan is reportedly under growing pressure from influential figures in the Niger Delta to abandon any plans to contest the 2027 presidential election and instead support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s re-election bid.
Sources close to both camps revealed that former militant leader and prominent Niger Delta activist, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, recently led a powerful delegation to Jonathan’s Otuoke residence in Bayelsa State to appeal to him to step aside from the 2027 race.
Tompolo was accompanied by key regional allies, including High Chief Kestin Pondi, Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, and Joshua Maciver, a senior Bayelsa APC figure. The closed-door meeting reportedly lasted several hours and was described by insiders as “politically charged.”
According to reliable sources, the meeting was not about regional peace—as earlier reported—but rather centered on convincing Jonathan to rally behind Tinubu’s continuity in office.
One of Jonathan’s associates who attended the meeting confirmed the encounter.
“Yes, the meeting held. Niger Delta stakeholders believe President Tinubu has done enough for the region through projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway and the new university in Ogoniland. They think it’s better to support his second term than to field another candidate,” the source explained.
Another insider revealed that Tompolo bluntly told the former president that the Niger Delta no longer supports his rumored presidential ambition.
“Tompolo told him that the people’s mood is not in his favor. He said most of the region now prefers Tinubu to complete his tenure till 2031,” the source added.
Tompolo’s renewed political activism reflects his close relationship with the current administration. His company, Tantita Security Services, holds a multi-billion-naira oil pipeline surveillance contract recently renewed by the federal government. He also heads the PBAT Door-to-Door Movement, a grassroots platform mobilizing support for Tinubu’s re-election across the Niger Delta.
Insiders say Tompolo advised Jonathan to emulate his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, who has publicly endorsed Tinubu, and Bayelsa State Governor Douye Diri, who is rumored to be planning a defection from the PDP to the APC.
“He told the former president to remain a respected elder statesman and not allow politicians to use him for their personal ambitions,” another source disclosed. “He warned that challenging Tinubu in 2027 would not only divide the South but also prove futile given Tinubu’s current nationwide support.”
While Jonathan downplayed the political angle of the meeting, telling journalists it was focused on peace and stability in the region, multiple sources insist that the real discussion revolved around the 2027 elections.
“Since I left office, Tompolo and I have not met,” Jonathan said. “We discussed how to maintain peace and stability in the Niger Delta. He has always played a major role in protecting the region.”
Meanwhile, Bayelsa politician and former Labour Party governorship candidate Udengs Eradiri dismissed reports of Jonathan’s 2027 ambition as mere speculation.
“Until he personally declares, it remains a rumour. Tompolo’s visit was likely a courtesy call to a respected leader of the region,” Eradiri said.
Political analysts believe the Niger Delta’s growing tilt toward Tinubu underscores a strategic realignment ahead of the 2027 elections, with many regional stakeholders prioritizing continuity over competition.
