High Chief Edem Duke, a former Minister of Culture and Tourism, has dismissed the feasibility of a political comeback for former President Goodluck Jonathan. He explained that entering the current presidential race presents immense logistical hurdles that are practically impossible to overcome given the very limited timeframe available before the upcoming national elections.
According to a video posted on the Official YouTube channel of Arise News on Wednesday, June 3, 2026, while addressing the growing calls for the former leader to rejoin frontline politics, he stated, “time is too short for Goodluck Ebele Jonathan to campaign across the 36 states of Nigeria to seek support and votes.”
The former minister pointed out that the current political landscape is vastly different and far more complicated than the one Jonathan left behind a decade ago. He noted that navigating the current political climate requires extensive nationwide mobilization and resources that cannot be hurriedly put together without exposing a leader to unnecessary failure.
Duke further stressed that instead of forcing the elder statesman through the stressful process of rigorous nationwide campaigns, stakeholders should respect his status. He argued that the former president has already outgrown partisan contests and should instead be positioned on an elevated pedestal to offer invaluable guidance to the country’s next administration.
In his concluding remarks, the former minister cautioned enthusiastic groups against dragging the former president into what he described as a treacherous political lottery. He maintained that safeguarding Jonathan’s global reputation as a democratic icon is far more important to the nation than embarking on a rushed, highly unpredictable race for executive power… Discover More
