*Reply to Dahiru Yusuf Yabo’s piece “JONATHAN’S LATE ENTRY, PDP FACTIONS, JUDICIAL CONFUSION AND THE RECYCLING OF 2023 POLITICAL ERRORS”*

Baba Isimi FNIA

Some of the assumptions in your writeup misrepresent the current situation regarding former *President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan* and the state of the opposition.

*1. The opposition is fragmented now, but that is not static*
It is correct that the opposition is currently fragmented. However, political alignments in Nigeria rarely stay fixed this far out from an election. What we’re seeing is a period of realignment. The expectation among many close watchers is that these strands will gradually coalesce into a more formidable opposition force as the electoral cycle progresses.

*2. The so-called PDP faction is electorally insignificant*
The claim that the PDP is being held hostage by a faction led by a certain minister overstates its weight. Within the broader electorate, that faction is politically marginal and electorally insignificant. Much of the prominence it receives comes from sections of the press (under its confessed covert influence) to amplify internal disputes out of proportion to their actual electoral relevance.

*3. Jonathan’s association with the PDP is logical and strategic*
It is only natural for GEJ to align with the party that propelled him from Deputy Governor to Governor, Vice President, Acting President, and President. Returning to lead efforts to rejuvenate and reposition the PDP is consistent with that history. Even if attempts to weaken the PDP through political and judicial maneuvering succeed, the party is likely to enter a broader coalition. With Jonathan’s profile and national reach, his involvement would significantly strengthen the opposition’s chances, whether as a candidate or as a coalition leader.

*4. His timing is deliberate, not accidental*
To careful observers of the Nigerian political space, Jonathan’s entry at this stage is strategic rather than late. Coming in after the initial phase of negotiations and posturing allows him to avoid being consumed by early infighting and to add value at the point where consolidation matters most.

In short, dismissing his move as a source of confusion misses the larger picture: the opposition’s current fragmentation is an evolving phase, not a final state. Jonathan’s involvement, within the PDP or as a coalition figure, adds organizational weight and credibility that the opposition has been lacking.

The real risk to democracy remains the one you rightly identified: endless litigation and judicial inconsistency. But addressing that requires strengthening institutions, not underestimating the strategic value of experienced political actors re-engaging at a critical moment.

Baba Isimi FNIA