Fresh pressure is mounting on former President Goodluck Jonathan to drop any plan to contest the 2027 presidential election, as some prominent figures in the Niger Delta intensify moves to persuade him to instead back President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid.

Reports have it that former militant leader, High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, is spearheading the regional effort urging Jonathan to shelve his alleged ambition and rally behind the president.

It was gathered that Tompolo, accompanied by some close allies — including the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, High Chief Kestin Pondi, and Joshua Maciver, the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa election — paid a private visit to Jonathan at his Otuoke residence in Ogbia Local Government Area of Bayelsa State on October 16.

The closed-door meeting, which reportedly lasted several hours, was Tompolo’s first major public appearance in nearly a decade, indicating the weight of his mission.

Political, Not Peace Meeting

Contrary to earlier reports suggesting that the visit centred on peace and security in the Niger Delta, multiple reliable sources confirmed that the discussions were primarily political.

According to sources close to both men, the meeting’s main agenda was to dissuade Jonathan from contesting and to solicit his support for President Tinubu’s second-term bid.

A top Jonathan associate who confirmed the meeting but requested anonymity because he was not authorised to speak, told Just News:

“Yes, the meeting held. The feeling among Niger Delta leaders is that Tinubu has done quite well for the region. They pointed to projects like the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway, the university approved for Ogoni land, and other federal initiatives. That’s the message Tompolo brought — that Jonathan should not run but should support Tinubu.”

When asked whether Jonathan was indeed considering a return to the presidential race, the associate said:

“Yes, he was considering it, but consultations are ongoing.”

‘It Was a Historic Visit’

Another source close to Tompolo described the visit as “historic,” noting that it was the first time in ten years the ex-militant leader would personally visit any political figure.

“That alone shows how important this meeting was,” the source said.

Tompolo, who has been openly supportive of President Tinubu, currently enjoys the renewal of his multi-billion-naira pipeline surveillance contract through Tantita Security Services — a role first granted under former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

He also reportedly leads a grassroots mobilisation structure known as the “PBAT Door-to-Door Movement”, which canvasses support for Tinubu across the Niger Delta.

‘Niger Deltans Prefer Continuity’

Further details obtained by Just News revealed that Tompolo told Jonathan that the “psyche of Niger Deltans” no longer aligned with a comeback attempt, warning that regional sentiment now favours continuity under President Tinubu.

“Tompolo was very blunt with him,” a source disclosed. “He said the people of the Niger Delta are no longer disposed to supporting him for another run and that the general mood favours Tinubu to continue till 2031.”

According to the source, Tompolo also advised the former president to take a cue from his wife, Dame Patience Jonathan, and Governor Douye Diri of Bayelsa State, both of whom have publicly aligned with the president’s re-election efforts.

“Tompolo reminded him that Mrs. Jonathan has already endorsed President Tinubu and that Governor Diri’s resignation from the PDP and planned defection to the APC are clear signals that the region is moving in that direction,” the source added.

‘No One Can Defeat Tinubu Now’

Another insider who attended the meeting said Tompolo cautioned Jonathan not to be swayed by political loyalists urging him to challenge the president, warning that he might not secure “home support.”

“He told him clearly that no one can defeat President Tinubu in a free and fair contest given his performance and political strength so far,” the insider said. “Tompolo argued that most Nigerians — especially in the South — are leaning toward continuity.”

The ex-militant leader reportedly assured Jonathan that he does not need to join the APC to support Tinubu, suggesting that he could maintain his status as an elder statesman while using his influence to mobilise support for the president in 2027.

Jonathan Listened, Promised to Reflect

According to sources, Jonathan listened attentively throughout the meeting and thanked Tompolo for the visit and his frank submissions.

“The former president appreciated the visit and said he would review the advice carefully,” one source told Just News. “He promised to make his position known at the appropriate time.”

Tompolo declined to speak to journalists after the meeting, but Jonathan later told reporters that the discussion focused mainly on peace and stability in the Niger Delta.

“Since I left office, we have not seen each other,” Jonathan said. “Tompolo has played key roles in the unity of our people. We discussed issues raised by stakeholders to ensure the Niger Delta remains peaceful.”

Despite Jonathan’s diplomatic remarks, insiders insist the political undertone of the meeting was unmistakable, especially as more Niger Delta elites appear to be closing ranks around President Tinubu’s re-election campaign.

‘Jonathan Remains Respected’

Meanwhile, former Labour Party governorship candidate in Bayelsa, Udengs Eradiri, dismissed reports of Jonathan’s 2027 ambition, describing them as speculative.

“I’m not aware that Jonathan is running,” he said. “Until he declares himself, it’s just rumour. And as for Tompolo’s visit, it’s normal — Jonathan remains a respected leader in the Niger Delta.”

Eradiri noted that Jonathan remains widely revered for his role in the Amnesty Programme initiated under the late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua, saying:

“It’s natural for anyone visiting Bayelsa to pay him homage. Whether there was political persuasion or not, we can’t say, but he remains a father figure in the region.”

The tension that followed Monday’s #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest in Abuja took a dramatic turn on Friday as a Magistrate’s Court in Kuje granted bail to publisher and activist Omoyele Sowore, Nnamdi Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, the IPOB leader’s brother Prince Emmanuel Kanu, and ten other protesters earlier detained by security operatives.

Each of the 13 defendants was granted bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with two sureties in like sum, following their arraignment on charges bordering on incitement, unlawful assembly, and breach of public peace.

The court order came after days of heated public attention surrounding the arrests, which took place at different locations in the Federal Capital Territory during and after the protest calling for the release of detained IPOB leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

According to details presented in court, Ejimakor, Emmanuel Kanu, and ten other demonstrators were apprehended by the police during the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow march held on October 20 in Abuja. They were subsequently remanded at the Kuje Correctional Facility.

Sowore, on the other hand, was arrested three days later, on October 23, within the premises of the Federal High Court, Abuja, shortly after attending Kanu’s terrorism trial in solidarity. Witnesses at the scene said plainclothes officers moved in swiftly, taking the Sahara Reporters publisher into custody as supporters chanted his name.

The prosecution alleged that the group’s activities had caused “public disturbance” and could potentially trigger unrest, but defence lawyers maintained that their gathering was peaceful and constitutionally protected.

Granting bail on Friday, the Kuje Chief Magistrate said the accused persons had met the preliminary conditions for temporary release pending further hearings. He cautioned them to refrain from actions capable of undermining public order, adding that their liberty should not be misinterpreted as immunity from legal consequence.

> “The court recognises the constitutional right to protest, but such actions must be carried out within the ambit of the law,” the magistrate ruled. “Each defendant is admitted to bail in the sum of ₦500,000, with two sureties of equal value.”

The bail ruling came just 24 hours after Nnamdi Kanu’s separate trial was adjourned to October 27, following his disclosure that his former counsel, Kanu Agabi (SAN), was yet to release his case file.

Friday’s court session was attended by several civil rights advocates and members of pro-democracy groups who described the arrests as “unjust” and “politically motivated.”

Meanwhile, both Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, and several northern socio-political groups had earlier condemned Sowore’s arrest, urging the Federal Government to respect freedom of expression and lawful dissent.

With bail now secured, the 13 defendants are expected to regain temporary freedom over the weekend as documentation and surety verification continue.

The matter is expected to resume later for further hearing at the Kuje Magistrate’s Court.

Detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, on Friday failed to open his defence before the Federal High Court in Abuja — blaming his former counsel for allegedly holding on to his case file.

At the resumed hearing of his terrorism trial, Kanu told the court that the development left him unprepared to proceed with his defence. He explained that his previous legal team, led by former Attorney-General of the Federation, Kanu Agabi (SAN), had yet to release key documents required to present his case.

The IPOB leader had earlier been scheduled to commence his defence on Thursday but announced the disengagement of his former lawyers, requesting a brief adjournment to reorganise his team.

When proceedings resumed on Friday, prosecution counsel Adegboyega Awomolo (SAN) reminded the court that the matter was specifically fixed for Kanu to open his defence. However, the defendant stood up to inform the court that he was handicapped by the unavailability of his case file.

“My Lord, I cannot proceed without my case file,” Kanu said. “Those who were supposed to send it to me at the DSS facility have not done so. I need time to go through it with my new lawyers.”

He therefore sought a short adjournment — till Monday, October 27 — to enable him retrieve the file and prepare his defence properly.

Kanu also told the court that he was expecting witnesses from the United Kingdom, the United States, Kenya, and Ethiopia, and requested permission to meet with them over the weekend in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS).

In his ruling, Justice James Omotosho granted the request, directing the DSS to permit Kanu’s visitors’ access on Saturday and Sunday for pre-trial consultations.

The judge, however, issued a warning that the six-day window earlier granted for the defence exercise, which began on October 23, would not be extended beyond next week.

“The court has been fair enough,” Justice Omotosho said. “You are to commence on Monday. The time frame given remains firm.”

With that, the matter was adjourned to October 27, 2025, for Kanu to finally open his defence.

The IPOB leader faces multiple charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony, and has remained in DSS custody since his re-arrest and extradition to Nigeria in 2021.