…as Bishop Kukah urges former president Jonathan to reflect deeply, pray sincerely, and resist pressures.
ACCRA, GHANA – The iNews Times | As speculation swirls around former President Goodluck Jonathan’s possible return to the political arena in 2027, the Catholic Bishop of Sokoto Diocese, Most Rev. Mathew Hassan Kukah, has issued a solemn caution: “The voice of the devil is not so far from the voice of God.”
Speaking at the Democracy Dialogue organised by the Goodluck Jonathan Foundation in Accra, Ghana on Wednesday, Bishop Kukah urged the former president to reflect deeply, pray sincerely, and resist pressures from individuals seeking to exploit his legacy for selfish ends.
“I want to end by saying, it’s a great honour, President Jonathan, to be here,” Kukah said during his address. “When you made that phone call on March 31, 2015, before the elections had even concluded, it was between you, your conscience, your God, and the moment. That was a divine call.”
Jonathan’s historic concession of defeat to President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015 has often been cited as a turning point in Nigeria’s democratic journey. Kukah echoed this sentiment, stating that the former president had all the instruments of power and might at his disposal to resist the election outcome, but chose peace instead.
“In my view,” Kukah noted, “by taking that decision, the people of Athens [democracy’s symbolic home] entrusted into your hands a touch of hope… a glimpse of what democracy should look like – honour, dignity, and sacrifice.”
But Kukah was also unequivocal in his warning. Referring to a caution once issued by former Defence Minister General Theophilus Danjuma, he said: “The voice of the devil is not so far from the voice of God. Listen very carefully to those who want to use you as an instrument for the elongation of their interests, and not yours, or Nigeria’s.”
The comments come amid reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) may be considering fielding Jonathan as its presidential candidate in the 2027 general elections.
While Kukah did not oppose Jonathan’s potential political comeback outright, he emphasised the need for inner clarity and national interest.
“Think very clearly. Pray very clearly,” he told Jonathan. “Final decision – it’s your call.”
The cleric’s remarks add moral weight to the growing debate about leadership succession and the ethical considerations of political recycling in Nigeria.
Kukah, who took time off the ongoing Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria to attend the event, closed his address with a personal note of loyalty and respect: “Because of what you did in 2015, when you call, I will come. When you knock, I will open the door.”
As the 2027 race slowly takes shape, Kukah’s words serve as both a tribute and a timely warning, a reminder that not all political calls come from a place of divine purpose.
