Goodluck Nigeria Movement rallies Northern support following court decision on Jonathan

Michael Olumide

Goodluck Nigeria Movement has commenced large-scale grassroots mobilisation across Northern Nigeria following a Federal High Court ruling that struck out a suit seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.

The development is being viewed by supporters of the former president as a major legal breakthrough that has effectively removed one of the key obstacles surrounding his potential return to national politics ahead of the next general election.

Barely hours after the court decision, the movement announced the activation of ward-level coordination structures across 12 Northern states, saying attention would now shift from legal debates to grassroots organisation and nationwide mobilisation.

Speaking on the development, the Kano State Coordinator of the Goodluck Nigeria Movement, Mallam Isa, said many Nigerians, particularly in the North, were already expressing support for the former president based on his perceived record in office.

“The court has spoken. The question now is what Nigerians want,” he said. “Across the North, people are saying they want stability, experience and leadership that delivered before.”

According to the group’s Media Coordinator, John Akpan, the movement has witnessed a rapid increase in support and online participation since the court ruling.

Akpan disclosed that the organisation’s WhatsApp and Telegram coordination platforms gained over 3,000 new members within 24 hours, while physical mobilisation meetings were simultaneously held across several local government areas in Kano, Kaduna, Katsina, Bauchi, Niger and Plateau states during the weekend.

He explained that the movement’s strategy was centred on building a bottom-up structure capable of mobilising ordinary Nigerians at the grassroots level ahead of 2027.

“We are organizing to make that voice visible,” Akpan stated.

Also speaking, the Niger State Coordinator of the movement, Suleiman, said supporters were determined to establish strong ward structures without waiting for directives from political elites in Abuja.

“We are not waiting for Abuja. The people on the ground are building structures from the ward up,” he said.

The movement maintained that although political parties, particularly the People’s Democratic Party, may continue internal discussions on zoning and candidate selection, many Nigerians were already prioritising competence, national unity and leadership experience.

“PDP can debate zoning, but Nigerians are organizing for competence,” the group stated.

As part of its next phase of engagement, the movement said it would, within seven days, compile a citizens’ memorandum outlining national priorities in areas such as security, economic recovery and national cohesion.

The document, according to organisers, will be forwarded to the office of former President Jonathan as part of ongoing consultations and citizen engagement efforts.

National Mobilisation Lead of the movement, Daniel Ike, stressed that the organisation respects the former president’s right to consult widely before making any formal declaration regarding the 2027 race.

“We respect former President Goodluck Jonathan’s right to consult widely before making a decision,” he said.

“Our role is to ensure that when he decides, he sees an organized, peaceful and nationwide movement ready to work.”

The group further appealed to Nigerians across political and ethnic divides to join local coordination cells at the ward level, insisting that the movement remains citizen-led, issue-driven and non-violent.

The Goodluck Nigeria Movement described itself as a nationwide citizens’ platform advocating experienced and unifying leadership ahead of the 2027 general elections, with operational structures currently spread across states and ward levels nationwide.