The call was led by former militant leader and prominent Niger Delta figure, Chief Government Ekpemupolo (Tompolo), who reportedly met with Dr. Jonathan at his Otuoke residence in Bayelsa State last week.
According to sources, the meeting—Tompolo’s second major public appearance in over a decade was part of ongoing consultations aimed at convincing the former president to “jettison his bid.”
Tompolo was accompanied by the Managing Director of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited (TSSNL), Chief Kestin Pondi, and the All Progressives Congress (APC) deputy governorship candidate in the 2023 Bayelsa election, Joshua Maciver.
During the visit, Tompolo reportedly told Dr. Jonathan that the “public mood does not support his aspiration” and that “the psyche of the citizens of the Niger Delta and indeed of the majority of Nigerians favoured the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in 2027.”
He emphasised that the former president might not enjoy “home support” should he choose to run under any political platform, urging him to “support President Tinubu in the spirit of continuity.”
One source familiar with the meeting disclosed: “Tompolo came to see His Excellency, President Goodluck Jonathan, in his village, Otuoke, on Friday, October 16 in what was a happy reunion since they have not met in over one decade. Contrary to the reports in the conventional and social media that they discussed issues bordering on peace and security in the Niger Delta, far from that, the meeting was political
