By Our Reporter
Amid intensified political maneuvers ahead of the 2027 general elections, revelations have emerged linking key Niger Delta political heavyweights former President Goodluck Jonathan, former Governors Timipre Sylva and Seriake Dickson, and the Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Dr. Sam Ogbuku in covert alignments aimed at reshaping the country’s presidential landscape.
Reliable sources disclosed that Dr. Ogbuku has allegedly perfected plans to facilitate the return of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan to the presidency in 2027. The move, sources claimed, is being driven by a broad coalition of opposition elements seeking to unseat President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The latest pointer to this covert alliance surfaced two weeks ago when the NDDC reportedly acquired a sprawling edifice owned by the former president to serve as its Bayelsa State office a transaction now under security scrutiny.
A senior security official, who confirmed the development under anonymity, revealed that a team from the security services was tasked with investigating the rationale behind the hurried procurement of the former president’s property by the NDDC. According to him, it is not a probe but a fact-finding inquisition. The concern is that public funds were used for a purchase that could be interpreted as indirectly funding a potential presidential challenger. He noted that the amount used could have conveniently built a new office complex.
Despite his close ties with President Tinubu, Ogbuku is reportedly being backed by a powerful cabal within the Presidential Villa. Sources noted that he was recently sighted at the Villa uninvited, seeking an audience with the President but was turned back and asked to return at a later date.
Inside sources further alleged that Ogbuku, along with a serving senator from the north and three influential billionaire businessmen, are mobilizing resources to fund Jonathan’s presidential bid. Contrary to public perception, Jonathan is said to not be as financially buoyant as believed, and selling his property was seen as a means to raise initial funds for nationwide consultations.
This political resurgence, however, appeared to conflict with public statements by former First Lady, Dame Patience Jonathan, who has consistently dismissed any suggestion that her husband would contest again.
Another major political breakthrough reportedly occurred recently when Dr. Ogbuku facilitated a peace meeting between arch-rivals—Timipre Sylva and Henry Seriake Dickson both former governors of Bayelsa State. The two had been estranged politically for years, with Jonathan previously caught in the middle.
Sources noted that the reconciliation was prompted by Governor Douye Diri’s rumored plan to defect to the All Progressives Congress, a move seen as politically dangerous to Sylva’s relevance in the state and a threat to Ogbuku’s own governorship ambition. Ogbuku, believed to be Sylva’s protégé and former Chief of Staff, reportedly fears Diri’s entry into APC could jeopardize his own gubernatorial dreams. Dickson, on the other hand, remains loyal to the PDP but is said to be weighing his legal and political options. Both camps reportedly agreed to align temporarily for mutual political survival under the Jonathan coalition.
For Dickson, the APC is considered a no-go area, but he reportedly recognizes the PDP may no longer offer the legal and structural strength to protect his political future. Many members of the Green Movement—Jonathan’s loyal base in Bayelsa—are now said to be defying Patience Jonathan’s public stance and throwing their support behind the former president’s possible return.
The coalition is said to be gaining traction, with consultations already ongoing. Former Senate President David Mark and former Kaduna State Governor Nasir el-Rufai are expected to meet with Jonathan in the coming days, in what sources described as a high-level political parley. The meeting, reportedly brokered by a House of Representatives member and core member of the Green Movement, is expected to further shape the structure of Jonathan’s potential 2027 candidacy.
Meanwhile, Governor Diri’s defection plan is facing stiff resistance from federal lawmakers from Bayelsa State. Senator Henry Seriake Dickson, Hon. Fred Agbedi, Mitema Obodor, and Marie Ebikake are reported to have rejected his overtures and refused to defect with him.
A source close to the APC national headquarters confirmed that Governor Diri has received endorsements from the Bayelsa State House of Assembly, but the refusal of key federal lawmakers to follow suit has stalled his defection. The lawmakers have made it clear they would part ways with him politically if he joins the APC.
Beyond Jonathan’s ambitions, Dr. Ogbuku is also accused of turning the NDDC into a political cash cow to fuel his own governorship aspirations in Bayelsa. Several stakeholders alleged he has been saturating the state with funds to secure loyalty from political, community, and socio-cultural leaders.
A source familiar with the situation claimed Ogbuku has opened the NDDC vault, disbursing jobs and cash to curry favor and build a formidable political base. According to the source, leadership of various political and socio-cultural groups are being patronized with cash and appointments, with no stone left unturned in pursuit of his ambition.
As political tensions simmer and alignments solidify, it remains to be seen whether these strategic maneuvers will translate into an official declaration by Jonathan and how the Tinubu-led administration will respond to a former president potentially returning to the national stage.
